MAY 17: INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA, AND BIPHOBIA CELEBRATED WITH EVENTS ALL OTHER THE WORLD

* This year’s theme (“Together always: united in diversity”) focuses on the need for cross-movement solidarity to keep bringing about positive change

* Access data about the legal situation for LGBTIacronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people. Although this is not the acronym available to describe people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics, it is the most commonly used in United Nations spaces and advocacy. More people: globally | in your country/jurisdiction

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GENEVA, 16 May 2023 – From the Cook Islands to Lesotho, Jamaica, and Canada, thousands of initiatives will be held across the planet on May 17 to celebrate the International Day against Homophobiafear, unreasonable anger, intolerance or/and hatred directed towards people attracted to others of the same gender. More, Transphobiarefers to negative cultural and personal beliefs, opinions, attitudes and behaviours based on prejudice, disgust, fear and/or hatred of trans people or against variations of gender identity and gender expression. More, and Biphobiathe fear, unreasonable anger, intolerance or/and hatred toward people attracted to more than one gender. More (IDAHOBIT). Events registered on may17.org currently span around 50 countries and territories, and more are being added in the upcoming days.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw attention to the violence and discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others. More experienced by lesbianadjective/noun to describe a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves. More, gayadjective to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional
attractions are to people of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this
term to describe themselves. More, bisexualadjective used to describe a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of other genders. More, and transadjective/umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. More persons, and more broadly against all people with diverse sexual orientations, genderrefers to a social construct which places cultural and social expectations on individuals based on their assigned sex. More identities or expressions, and sex characteristicsa term that refers to physical features relating to sex - including genitalia and other sexual and reproductive anatomy, chromosomes, hormones, and secondary physical features emerging from puberty. More. Thanks to the coordination of a global Working Group and the initiatives of thousands LGBTQIA+ activists and allies, the day is celebrated every May 17, marking the anniversary of the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

Data available in the ILGA World Database show how true equality continues to be very far from reach for many LGBTQIA+ people worldwide: 6 UN member States legally impose the death penalty for consensual same-sex sexual acts, and there is no legal certainty of its application in 5 more States. As many as 64 UN member States criminalise consensual same-sex relations: 62 of them criminalise de jure (laws criminalising consensual same-sex sexual acts); 2 criminalise de facto (in practice, relying on other laws.) At least 51 countries have restrictions on freedom of expression related to sexual and gender diversity issues, including in educational settings.

And yet, progress is happening across the world. To date, 11 UN member States have moved to ban so-called ‘conversion therapies’ at the national level. 7 have introduced nationwide restrictions to unnecessary interventions on intersexan umbrella term for the spectrum of variations of sex characteristics that naturally occur within the human species. Intersex people are born with variations of sex characteristics (such as genitals, reproductive organs, hormonal and chromosomal patterns) that are more diverse than stereotypical definitions of male or female bodies. Up to 1.7% of the global population are born with such traits; yet, because their bodies are seen as different, intersex children and adults are often stigmatised and subject to harmful practices – including in medical settings - and discriminated against. More youth, and 20 allow for legal gender recognitionlaws, administrative procedures or processes by which a person can change their sex/gender marker and names on official identity documents. More based on self-determination. Marriage equalitywhere national marriage legislation also includes same-sex couples or gender-neutral reference to the spouses. References to “gay marriage” that are sometimes made by media outlets and decision-makers incorrectly are incorrect, as no country has created a marriage law specifically for same-sex couples. More is now a reality in 33 UN member States. Laws that protect people from hate crimes on the grounds of their sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. More exist in 58 UN member States, but only 37 do so based on gender identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. More, 9 on gender expressionrefers to how a person presents their gender through physical appearance – including dress, hairstyles, accessories, cosmetics – and mannerisms, speech, behavioural patterns, names and personal references. More, and 5 on sexrefers to the classification of a person as male, female, or other - usually made at birth, written on a birth certificate, and usually based on the appearance of their external anatomy. A person’s sex, however, is actually a combination of bodily characteristics, including chromosomes, hormones, internal and external reproductive organs, and secondary sex characteristics. More characteristics.

Despite this progress, history has taught LGBTQIA+ communities that hard-won advances can be easily taken away. This is why the theme of this year’s International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia – decided through a large consultation with LGBTQIA+ organisations and networks from around the world – focuses on the power of solidarity across movements, identities, and borders to keep bringing about change.

“Together always: united in diversity” is a response to times when progress is increasingly at risk: when we unite, in all our beautiful diversity, we can really bring about change!

NOTE: To facilitate participation at all levels in such a relevant day for our communities worldwide, as of January 2023 ILGA World has taken a more active role around IDAHOBIT, by coordinating the Working Group and hosting its Secretariat.