International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2023

May 17th is recognized around the world as the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, or IDAHOTB for short.

IDAHOTB exists to raise awareness about the ongoing discrimination and violence faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals, and to promote the rights and freedoms of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 campaign...

How You Can Support the 2023 IDAHOTB Campaign

This year's theme, "Together always: united in diversity," was decided through a large consultation with LGBTQIA+ organisations from around the world. The theme allows for advocacy and celebrations in many forms – be them from human rights defenders, LGBTQIA+ civil society groups, millions of people in our communities, and our allies.

In a time where the progress made by our LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide is increasingly at risk, it is crucial to recognise the power of solidarity, community, and allyship across different identities, movements, and borders. When we unite, in all our beautiful diversity, we can really bring about change!

By coming together and raising our voices, we can make a difference in the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities worldwide. Here are some ways you can get involved:

Educate Yourself

Take the time to educate yourself about LGBTQIA+ issues, and to understand the challenges faced by the community.

This includes learning about the history of discrimination and violence, as well as the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ rights which increasingly at risk.

Speak Out

Use your voice to speak out against the increasing discrimination and violence towards the LGBTQIA+ community. This can include writing to your elected representatives, participating in protests or rallies, or simply having conversations with friends and family. To get you started, here are the current Stonewall campaigns you that you can support:

• Make access to IVF equal for LGBTQIA+ people

• Ban conversion therapy

Support Organisations

Support organisations that work to promote LGBTQIA+ rights and provide resources and support to the community. This includes organisations like the Human Rights Campaign, Stonewall, GLAAD, and The Trevor Project.

Celebrate Diversity

Celebrate the diversity and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community by attending pride events, reading LGBTQIA+ literature or watching LGBTQIA+ films, and learning about LGBTQIA+ culture and history.

Share the official 2023 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia illustrations!

Based on this year's theme, “Together always: unity in diversity,” Chilean artist Sofía Miranda Van den Bosch created six illustrations in association with may17.org that incorporated feedback from LGBTQIA+ organisations and activists from across the world who have joined the IDAHOBT working group.

At a time when hard-won advances for our LGBTQIA+ communities around the globe are increasingly under threat, the power of solidarity, allyship and community across identities, borders, and movements has never been more necessary. These illustrations are a simple yet powerful way to show your support for the lives and rights of LGBTQIA+ people around the world.

History of IDAHOTB

IDAHOTB was first created in 2004 to commemorate the World Health Organization's decision to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders on May 17, 1990 (hooray!). Since then, the day has grown to become a worldwide event, with individuals and organizations coming together to raise awareness about LGBTQIA+ issues, and to advocate for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, in particular, those that face homophobia, transphobia and/or biphobia. For those that don't know...

Homophobia is a term used to describe prejudice, discrimination, or hostility towards individuals who are attracted to people of the same gender, or who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+).

Transphobia is a term used to describe prejudice, discrimination, or hostility towards individuals who identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender non-conforming.

Biphobia is a term used to describe prejudice, discrimination, or hostility towards individuals who identify as bisexual, or who are attracted to people of both the same and different gender.

Homophobia, transphobia and biphobia can take many forms, ranging from erasure and marginalization to negative stereotypes and biases. They are can be driven by fear, ignorance, or hatred, and often stems from deeply ingrained cultural, religious, or social beliefs that view LGBTQIA+ individuals as immoral, abnormal, or deviant. It can also be fuelled by a lack of understanding or awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues, as well as negative stereotypes and biases.

These issues have serious negative effects on the mental and physical health of LGBTQIA+ individuals, as well as their ability to live their lives freely and openly. It can lead to feelings of isolation, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, as well as increased risk of suicide, substance abuse, and other health issues.

Why IDAHOTB is Important

International day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia is important for several reasons, namely:

1. To Raise Awareness: IDAHOTB is an opportunity to raise awareness about the ongoing discrimination, harassment, and violence faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals around the world. It is important to highlight the challenges and issues faced by the community in order to promote understanding and tolerance.

2. To Advocate for Rights: IDAHOTB provides a platform for CloudCall and its employees as individuals to advocate for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. This includes fighting against discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, and education, as well as promoting marriage equality, adoption rights, and other legal protections.

3. To Celebrate Diversity: IDAHOTB is also a time to celebrate the diversity and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community. It's an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the rich cultural heritage and unique perspectives that LGBTQIA+ individuals bring to the world.

4. To Promote Solidarity: Finally, IDAHOTB is a time to promote solidarity among all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. By standing together and supporting each other, we can create a world where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

If you're interested more information about why days like IDAHOTB are important, the below resources with valuable information and insights into the experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ people across different countries and regions around the world might be of interest:

• ILGA World Database - The ILGA World Database is a unique knowledge base on laws, human rights bodies, advocacy opportunities, and news related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics issues worldwide.

• TGEU Trans Murder Monitoring - The Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) project systematically monitors, collects, and analyses reports of homicides of trans and gender-diverse people worldwide.

• A long way to go for LGBTI equality - This report presents select findings from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 2019 survey on LGBTI people in the EU and North Macedonia and Serbia. With almost 140,000 participants, it is the largest survey of its kind.

• TGEU Trans Rights Map - TGEU Trans Rights Map illustrates the legal situation of 49 countries in Europe and 5 in Central Asia. It shows country-specific requirements for legal gender recognition, as well as existing protections for trans people in asylum, hate crime/speech, non-discrimination, health, and family.

• Legal Gender Recognition: A Multi-Country Legal and Policy Review in Asia - This report undertakes a comprehensive review of existing laws, policies and practices related to legal gender recognition for transgender people in nine countries in Asia: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, and Thailand.

• Impact of Anti-Gender Opposition on TGD and LGBTQI Movements - GATE's global research report sheds light on the challenges to counteracting anti-gender mobilisation. It emphasises anti-gender groups’ deliberate dissemination of false and harmful information, the role of the media in enabling anti-gender narratives and actions, and the worsening human rights situation for TGD and wider LGBTQI communities globally.

• Rainbow Europe - Rainbow Europe is a project of ILGA-Europe that tracks and rates the legal and policy situation of LGBTQIA+ people in Europe. Their annual index provides a country-by-country analysis of the legal rights and protections for LGBTQIA+ people.

• Living Free and Equal - 2016’s report by UN Free & Equal on what states are doing to tackle violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex people.

• Legal Gender Recognition & Access to Trans-Affirming Care in East Africa - Report based on a research study conducted by the East Africa Trans Health and Advocacy Network (EATHAN) focusing on legal gender recognition and access to healthcare for intersex, trans, and gender non-conforming people in East Africa.