IDAHOBIT: Our history of serving the power of communities

On May 17, the world celebrates IDAHOBIT — the International Day against lesbophobia, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and intersexphobia.

At ILGA World, we have been serving the power of our communities since the day we were born, in 1978.

Since then, we have seen progress we once thought unbelievable happen.
Today, that progress must be defended!

Watch this video to watch the power of communities unfold throughout our history, and visit may17.org for resources to mark this IDAHOBIT!

(unless states otherwise, the photos shows in the video are courtesy of the Bishopsgate Institute ILGA & ILIS Collection)

PHOTO 1
1978: writing about the yearly Campaign for Homosexual Equality conference, Broadsheet announces the birth of IGA (ph.: collezione Luca Locati Luciani/ILGA World archive)

PHOTO 2
1979: the IGA foundation document.

PHOTO 3
1979: second plenary at the conference in Bergen.

PHOTO 4
1979: workshop on relations with international bodies at the ILGA World Conference in Bergen.

PHOTO 5
1980: voting by show of hands at the first ILIS Conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

PHOTO 6
1980: following a debate during the first ILIS Conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

PHOTO 7
1981: protesters holding “Let Gays In!” posters during a protest against discriminatory US immigration law in London, UK.

PHOTO 8
1985: marchers with the International Gay Association banner during Toronto Pride in Canada.

PHOTO 9
1986: breaking the ice during the 8th annual ILGA conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

PHOTO 10
1986: a demonstration outside the US embassy during the 8th annual ILGA conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

PHOTO 11
1991: a moment of the “Acapulco thank you!” demonstration during the 13th annual ILGA conference in Acapulco, Mexico.

PHOTO 12
1993: John Clark (HOSI Wien, Austria), with his fellow Secretary General, Rebeca Sevilla (MHOL, Peru), marking John’s retirement as Secretary General at the 1993 Barcelona annual world conference. John and Rebeca had led the team representing ILGA at the 1993 ECOSOC consultative status hearing.

PHOTO 13
1993: group photo at the Karlsplatz in Vienna, Austria during the 7th ILGA Eastern and South-East European conference.

PHOTO 14
1993: unveiling the Austrian and Russian AIDS Memorial Quilts uring the 7th ILGA Eastern and South-East European conference in Vienna, Austria.

PHOTO 15
1994: a demonstration outside the Helsinki, Finland City Hall during the ILGA European Regional Conference. The first annual meeting of the European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA) took place during the conference.

PHOTO 16
1994: a demonstration outside the Helsinki, Finland City Hall during the ILGA European Regional Conference.

PHOTO 17
1994: marching during the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, United States. ILGA chose New York for its 16th annual conference to support the celebrations.

PHOTO 18
1994: international flags shown during the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, United States.

PHOTO 19
1995: group photo of women delegates at the 17th ILGA Annual Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

PHOTO 20
1995: the Lesbian March at the NGO Forum in Huairou, China during the fourth UN World Conference on Women, Beijing.

PHOTO 21
1995: Bev Ditsie addressing the opening meeting at the Lesbian Tent during the NGO Forum at the fourth UN World Conference on Women, Beijing.

PHOTO 22
1995: march for full citizenship in Rio De Janeiro. The first-ever Pride march in Rio was organised during the 17th annual ILGA conference.

PHOTO 23
2014: the ILGA World Board by the Stonewall Inn, marking the 45th anniversary of the riots (ph. ILGA World archive).

PHOTO 24
2016: Group picture outside Room XX at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, after the Human Rights Council passed the resolution establishing the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on SOGI (ph. ILGA World archive).

PHOTO 25
2018: ILGA co-organises the first-ever side event at the United Nations addressing bisexual persons’ human rights (ph. ILGA World archive).

PHOTO 26
2017: ILGA Co-Secretaries General Ruth Baldacchino and Helen Kennedy (not shown in the picture) honour United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein with the ‘LGBTI Friend of the Year’ Award, during the first ILGA World Gala (ph. Maurane Di Matteo/ ILGA World archive).

PHOTO 27
2022: activists from around the world at the United Nations in Geneva during a UPR advocacy week (ph. ILGA World archive)

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2019: Participants in the ILGA World Conference in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand (ph. Alex Efimoff / ILGA World archive).

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2023: an ILGA World delegation marching during WorldPride in Sydney, Australia – the first-ever held in Oceania (ph. Julia Ehrt / ILGA World archive).

PHOTO 30
2025: ILGA World Board members Angelica Polmonari, Olena Shevchenko, and Kenita Placide at the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Conference in Rome, Italy (ph. Angelica Polmonari / ILGA World archive).