This chapter explores the impact of sexuality on academic nurses and midwives, with a particular focus on the experiences of one lesbian academic. It aims to highlight the influence of heteronormativity in a predominantly straight, female workforce and draw connections between queer theory, literature, and personal experiences.

The chapter is divided into several sections: an introduction to the visibility of lesbians in academia, a discussion on the influence of heteronormativity, an exploration of queer theory concepts, and personal narratives that illustrate these themes. Visibility of lesbians in academia and practice will be explored using demographic data and other sources. Lesbians, it seems, are an invisible group especially in midwifery but also in higher education. Being ‘out’ as a lesbian is not a fixed state. It is not obviously visible, hence the title of this chapter, so I examine the literature and a reflective account of one experience of coming out to explore whether and how this is shared, to whom, and for what purpose. There are signs and symbols that can make one’s sexuality more open to identification by others. These will be discussed using performativity and liminality, two other concepts within queer theory.