International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia 2022

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Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Yesterday marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). 

Recognized across the globe since its creation in 2004, IDAHOBIT is a day to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, it serves to highlight the discrimination and oppression faced by the community, and the work that still needs to be done to disrupt harmful policies and systems that continue to perpetuate harm against the LGBTQ+ community. 

This year’s theme is “Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Rights”, which feels particularly urgent given recent news around Roe v. Wade in the U.S. and its projected impact on the LGBTQ+ community and civil rights. 

Why May 17th? 

On this day in 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from the category of mental illness.

Similarly, in 2019 WHO stopped categorising gender nonconformity as a mental health disorder.

These are important milestones reached by the tireless advocacy and work of LGBTQ+ people and scientists.

Ongoing Stigma

The impact of institutionalised anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is long lasting and there are lingering effects. So while great strides have been made, such as the removal of these categorisations, stigma remains and impacts LGBTQ+ people from the individual to systemic level.

LGBTQ+ people face physical and sexual harassment and assault, bullying, and lower self-esteem. At the systemic level, the LGBTQ+ community faces barriers to necessities such as healthcare, housing, and education. These factors affect their mental health and are further compounded with factors such as race and/or disability.

One way to begin tackling stigma is to challenge our own unconscious biases. 

Learn More

To show your support, learning more is always a great starting point. Please see our non-exhaustive list of resources below: 

Vancouver-based Resources