International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
May 17, 2022
May 17 is the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, a worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversities.
The day was created in 2004 to draw the attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by 2SLGBTQIA+ people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics. The date of May 17 was selected to commemorate the World Health Organization’s 1990 decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.
In places across the globe, 2SLGBTQIA+ people face discrimination, stigma, prejudice, hostility, violence, denial of legal protections, denial of essential health care, and denial of civil and human rights.
The International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is now celebrated in over 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex relationships are criminalised. Popular IDAHOBIT events include street marches, festivals, parades, and arts and culture events.
Resources:
- UNMASKED is a documentary that tells the story of Jessica Platt, the first openly transgender athlete to play in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL).
- For current and future in person and online events QueerEvents.ca
- ARCH Guelph
- Guelph Pride
- Egale Canada