Originally worn at an International Women’s Day parade in Australia, “I AM A LESBIAN” by Lyn Cooper wasn’t designed to be clever, coded, or palatable. It was designed to be seen.
Created during a period when visibility came with real personal risk, the shirt turned a body into a declaration. No slogans, no metaphors—just four words in capital letters, doing exactly what they needed to do. In the context of early feminist marches and lesbian activism, it functioned as protest, self-definition, and solidarity all at once.
