Sostrin Client Spotlight - Linda Riley

In 2019, Sostrin client, journalist, and LGBTQ+ campaigner Linda Riley founded Lesbian Visibility Week in the United Kingdom.  The Week, which is run by DIVA Media Group, is becoming a global initiative and is the only national campaign targeted at LGBTQ+ women.
 
“I’m really keen to ensure that lesbians are out and proud all over the world,” she explains, “in every walk of life, doing whatever they are doing as their authentic selves.”
 
Ms. Riley’s decision to start Lesbian Visibility Week was backed by more than 20 years of experience in publishing in the United Kingdom and Europe, and over a decade of work in diversity and inclusion initiatives.
 
“As a gay woman I saw that the print media available to women in our community was very poor,” she says. “I wanted to create publications that had journalistic integrity and helped amplify the voices of the people who read them as well as the companies that supported it.”
 
Ms. Riley’s career in journalism began as joint publisher of both g3 and Out in the City magazines.  Today, she is publisher of the Iconic DIVA magazine as well as patron of LGBT homelessness charity, AKT.  She is also a patron of Diversity Role Models, a leading LGBT anti-bullying charity.  From 2013 through 2019, Ms. Riley also held a position as Board Director of the U.S.-based LGBT campaign group, GLAAD.
 
Ms. Riley’s commitment to activism has led to her founding the European Diversity Awards, the British LGBT Awards, the Diversity Careers Show, and the campaign #No2LGBTHate, amongst many others.  She has also won a Stonewall Award and was named Business Icon of the Year in 2017 for her advocacy work.
 
As Lesbian Visibility Week enters its fourth year, Ms. Riley has continued to campaign for LGBTQ+ inclusion.  “I do a lot of keynote speeches for large companies and employee research groups,” she explains. “Those sessions are so empowering for everyone involved.”
 
At these sessions, she can engage in her favorite part of her work – hearing the voices of those she advocates for.  
 
“I get to meet some of the most inspiring and interesting people who share the most incredible stories.”
 
Ms. Riley will be continuing her work as a Magazine Publisher in the United States with DIVA Media Group US, while also working to expand Lesbian Visibility Week.  “Choosing to spend more time in the US is a major part of that for me,” she says, “and something I am very passionate about.”
 
Sostrin Immigration Lawyers recently assisted Ms. Riley in obtaining an O-1 visa. We’re proud to work with a dedicated advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and are excited to follow her future endeavors.