A groundbreaking exhibition is opening in Melbourne this October, showcasing three decades of lesbian activism, creativity, and community-building. Lesbians Leap from the Archives 1970–2000 brings together rare materials from personal collections and national archives to honour the women who shaped feminist and lesbian culture across Australia.

Meeting Joan Nestle at the Letters From Ger exhibition felt like stepping into living queer history. Everything I’d learned about the 1950s, Stonewall, and the early days of lesbian activism had always come from books or documentaries. Hearing Joan speak — a woman who has been out since the 1950s and founded the Lesbian Herstory Archives — awakened a hunger in me for real, tangible stories from elders in our community. What began as a chance encounter quickly became a friendship that reshaped my understanding of queer lineage, activism, and love.