World Women's Day Interview with Lisa

Could you briefly tell us who you are and what motivated you to share your story?

I am Lisa, 32 years old, from Esslingen near Stuttgart. I have been working as a digital art director at PURELEI for three years. I want to share my story to encourage other people and show that they are not alone. “Being different” can be scary, I know that myself. But being true to yourself is simply the best feeling in the world.

What aspects of your life and personality define you the most?

What defines me most… I am a strong and confident woman. I'm very proud of that. In the past I have struggled a lot with myself and my mental health as I also felt different in society. Today I am proud that I have achieved everything I wanted to achieve and that I am now the person I always wanted to be. I am also defined by my love for animals. My two dogs and my cat are my everything.

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What does it mean to you to be a woman?

It means a lot to me. Society has many ideas about what constitutes a “real woman,” but I think that’s nonsense. A woman can be anything, but she doesn't have to be anything. Every woman is different, and that's a good thing. I love being a woman and I don't give a damn about social norms. For me, Women Power is simply something very special.

Can you tell us about a particularly positive experience you had during your coming out and how did it influence your life?

I struggled with myself for years and when I finally had the courage finally admitting to myself who or "what" I am, namely a lesbian,I was afraid of my family's reaction. Especially from how my conservative grandparents would perceive it. But they totally surprised me by reacting very positively and inviting my girlfriend to the next family celebration. That touched me very much and showed me that they love and accept me for who I am.

How important was the support of friends and family when you came out, and what would you recommend to others to create a supportive environment?

The support of friends and family was very important to me. I'm usually a person who doesn't care much about other people's opinions, but of course that doesn't apply to friends and family. With my friends, I knew they didn't care whether I told them boy drama or girl drama. But I was very afraid of rejection, of my family.
I would advise everyone to stay true to themselves and not be afraid. There is no better feeling than being 100% behind yourself and being yourself. But I understand very well if you are afraid of coming out. You don't have to come out if you don't want to. But if you want to do it, you can also take someone with you as moral support. I did it too, and it was the best decision of my life.

How has coming out affected your life, your self-acceptance, and is there any advice you would give other women who find themselves in a similar situation?

Coming out enriched my life enormously and gave me a liberating feeling. First of all, it was an extreme relief to admit to myself who I am and that that is completely okay. I can only advise everyone: Be yourself and stand by it! Either people accept you as you are, or they don't.

Have you experienced controversial reactions and how do you deal with them? Do you have any tips for such situations?

So far I have, except for strange looks on the streetwhen a woman holds another woman's hand, fortunatelythere are no bad experiences. I don’t care about other people’s opinions. It's my life, my happiness.

What role do you think the media presence of people who share their coming out play?

I think it's important that coming outs are present in the media, especially for young people who feel alone. It's important to show that they are not alone. In general, I would like to see society's acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community continue to grow in the future and that every person is accepted for who they are.

What does World Women’s Day mean to you?

On the one hand, I think it's sad that we need a World Women's Day. Dthat means that we are still not at the point where we should have been for a long time: equality for all genders. On the other hand, it is important that there is this day for women to draw attention to grievances. I come from a family with many strong women. I was born and raised by one, she made me the woman I am today. On World Women's DayI would like to honor all the strong women who have brought us so far in our emancipation. Because without them we wouldn't be here today.