Amid a political climate where lesbian voices, among others, are seen as problematic, we sought to help a young lesbian publish an important piece about desistance, and found ourselves without a publication, on the left, willing to publish her story — Hers is one of the first stories we featured. Our inability to find a publication willing to put out her story, was both the catalyst, and the final straw. Not only is the mainstream intent on making sure you don’t hear her name, they also don’t want you to know that Chiara Canaan is among an alarming number of young people, now coming forward, with similar stories. We realized if we wanted to put her story out through a publication on the left, we’d need to create one. A platform willing to, unapologetically, look at issues as they specifically pertain to and affect lesbians, and issues as they specifically pertain to and affect children, and other subjugated groups who struggle to be heard. The Velvet Chronicle aims to give a voice to those who have a minority say in policies and laws that are — across the globe — overwhelmingly created and maintained by men.

Who we are:

The Velvet Chronicle is spearheaded by The Robertsons and inspired by all of the great women who fought before us. We are a harbor for young people, and a safe haven for those who are caught out in the storm. A place for warriors to draw inspiration. If you listen real close, you can almost hear Stormé DeLarverie give her famous call to arms — “Why don’t you do something!?” …So we did. And you can too. 

How you can help?

We accept donations through Patreon and PayPal. We’re primarily funded by donations from our readers. We truly appreciate your support.

How to contact The Velvet Chronicle:

Claudia Lucas Robertson — Editor-in-Chief, [email protected]

Julia Diana Robertson — Senior Editor, [email protected]

About the founders:

Julia Diana Ghassan Robertson is an award-winning Arab-American author and has contributed to Huffington Post, AfterEllen, Quillette, Curve, Feminist Current and more. She’s worked to create lesbian visibility in the mainstream, since 2006. In 2017, Robertson was the first to publicly argue — putting her writing career in jeopardy — that it’s unethical to ‘transition’ young people before they have a chance to reach full cognitive brain development (now one of the main points used to fight medical malpractice where non-conforming youth are concerned). In 2019, when detransitioned youth first began asking how they could hold the institutions legally accountable for the medical malpractice they’d been subjected to, Robertson publicly, and privately, suggested that they specifically go after “informed consent.” Robertson was honored to be trusted as an ‘outsider’ invited into a group of lesbian and bisexual detransitioned youth, who were trying to figure out if they had any concrete grounds for legal recourse. Robertson detailed a legal strategy that she said would be the “smoking gun” — to attack the idea that they truly could’ve given “informed consent” (detailing this as it relates to cognitive brain development). Afterwards, the group renamed the chat “informed consent.” This argument would be used, successfully, twenty months later in the Keira Bell case. Robertson is dedicated to protecting vulnerable groups by providing vital information to readers on the left, that’s been aggressively censored in left mainstream media over the last several years. For example, Robertson was the first writer to inform readers on the left, through a left-leaning mainstream publication, that double mastectomies are being performed on non-conforming children, as young as 13 years old. Robertson was among the first few women to speak up, out in plain sight, using her real name and image, challenging what she called “gender ideology” (which had previously been framed by others as “trans ideology”). Robertson, having a knack for finding the right words to reach people in a rational, fact-based manner, decided to use that ability to advocate for youth and women, at a time when livelihoods (and lives) were being threatened for doing so. Julia has 15+ years experience as a teacher, youth counselor, and mentor. She additionally works with children who are on the autism spectrum. To book a mentorship session, now offered via zoom, email [email protected]. 

Claudia Lucas Robertson, is a Jew-ish Chilean Native American who’s been creating visibility for lesbians, and more specifically categorically ‘butch’ lesbians, in the mainstream, since 2006 — with work featured on Showtime, MTV, Logo, AfterEllen and more. She’s Co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Velvet Chronicle, as well as the site designer. Behind the scenes, she writes music for film and television, and edits the works of lesbian writers. Lucas Robertson is dedicated to finding ways to protect children who don’t conform to so-called norms, from the damaging medical practices encouraged by gender ideologists. She’s among those who’ve put a face to a movement, at personal expense, to speak up for children and women whose human rights are at stake. Claudia is determined to fight against the removal of “sex” as a protected class in law, and to see the current culture of child abuse and gay eugenics come to an end.