Lesbian Lines (2026)

In 1980s and 1990s Ireland, where homosexuality was criminalized and the Catholic Church dictated social morality, a group of lesbians established a covert network of telephone helplines. Operating from private homes and using coded language, these volunteers offered listening ears, practical information, and a crucial reminder to isolated callers: you are not alone. Lesbian Lines traces the origins, evolution, and legacy of this underground lifeline through the voices of the women who ran it and those who called.

Director Cara Holmes combines contemporary interviews with archival fragments to reconstruct a chapter of Irish queer history that survived in whispers and phone cords. The documentary follows the helpline's growth from a single number scribbled on a wall to a nationwide web of support, examining how a simple act — answering the phone — became an act of resistance.