International Day Against Homophobia
Encyclopedia
The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) is celebrated every May 17.
It is coordinated by the Paris based "IDAHO Committee" founded and presided by French academics, Louis-Georges Tin. The day aims to coordinate international events to call respect for lesbians and gays worldwide.
May 17 was chosen as the day of the event because homosexuality
was removed from the International Classification of Diseases
of the World Health Organization
(WHO) on May 17, 1990.
, on June 1; in 2006, they changed it to May 17, to join the international movement..
In 2006, Declaration of Montreal
adopted by 2006 World Outgames
also demand United Nations and all states to recognise every May 17 as the International Day Against Homophobia.
In 2010, Lula
, the then president of Brazil
, signed an act that instituted May 17 as the National Day Against Homophobia.
Much movement towards reaching these goals has been made achieved by the French government, particularly by Human Rights Minister Rama Yade
. Working closely with the Netherlands, the French government convened a World Congress on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity on May 15, 2009.
For 2009, the IDAHO campaign was mostly focused on transphobia, i.e. violence against trans' people. The IDAHO then became the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. A new petition was launched, in conjunction with other LGBT organisations, and it was supported by more than 300 NGOs from 75 countries, by 3 Nobel Prize winners (Elfriede Jelinek, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Luc Montagnier). And on the eve of the 2009 IDAHO day, France became the first country in the world to officially remove transgender issues from its list of mental illnesses .
The latest report that the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association, ILGA, released on the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia 2009, confirms that no less than 80 countries around the world still consider homosexuality illegal and in 7 of them, homosexual acts are punishable by death. In almost all countries, transphobic laws limit the freedom not to act as socially determined by one person’s sex at birth.
By May 17, 2005, as a result of a year long campaigning effort, 24 000 people worldwide and reputed international organizations like ILGA, IGLHRC, the World Congress of LGBT Jews, the Coalition of African Lesbians, to name but a few, had signed the appeal to support the IDAHO initiative.
In May 2005 already, activities took place on IDAHO in many countries in the world. First LGBT events ever were organized in Congo, China and Bulgaria.
Organizations in more than 70 countries in the world now invest International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia as part of their annual mobilization plan. In some of them, the Day has become the major focal point or action.
IDAHO has now been officially recognized by the EU Parliament, Spain, Belgium, the UK, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, France, Luxemburg and lately Brazil. It is also recognized by numerous local authorities across the world, like the province of Quebec, the city of Buenos Aires, etc.
In several countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Australia, Croatia, etc. national civil society coalitions have called upon by their authorities to have the Day recognized.
cultural imposition.
Reflecting State-sponsored homophobia and Transphobia, social attitudes discriminate against sexual minorities and Trans people, sometimes in the violent forms of persecutions, verbal and physical abuse, and even hate-crimes. As a result, in many of these countries where political and/or social homophobia and transphobia are extreme, emerging LGBT movements are very vulnerable and isolated.
To contribute to answering these challenges, an initiative was developed in 2004 to create an International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).
The main purpose of the day is to create a moment, a space, that local groups can use as an opportunity to take action and harness to engage into dialogue with the media, policy makers, public opinion, other civil society or religious groups, etc.
The idea behind the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia is to create something that can be visible at global level without needing to conform to one or other specific type of action as the sheer diversity of social, religious, cultural and political contexts in which the rights to express gender freedom and to engage in same-sex relationships needs to be addressed makes it impossible for a global campaigning movement to take one specific form of expression or even one central policy agenda.
The International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia is about unity in spirit and diversity in expressions.
The Day creates an opportunity for all to :
It is coordinated by the Paris based "IDAHO Committee" founded and presided by French academics, Louis-Georges Tin. The day aims to coordinate international events to call respect for lesbians and gays worldwide.
May 17 was chosen as the day of the event because homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
was removed from the International Classification of Diseases
ICD
The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems is a medical classification that provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or disease...
of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) on May 17, 1990.
History
In 2003 the Canadian organization Fondation Émergence instituted a similar event, the National Day Against HomophobiaNational Day Against Homophobia
The National Day Against Homophobia is a Canadian event organized by the Fondation Émergence.June 1, 2005 marked the event's third anniversary, which was celebrated with a posthumous award to the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who repealed anti-gay clauses from the Criminal Code of Canada, and...
, on June 1; in 2006, they changed it to May 17, to join the international movement..
In 2006, Declaration of Montreal
Declaration of Montreal
The Declaration of Montreal on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Human Rights is a document adopted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on July 29, 2006, by the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights which formed part of the first World Outgames. The Declaration outlines a number of rights...
adopted by 2006 World Outgames
2006 World Outgames
The 1st World Outgames took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 26, 2006 to August 5, 2006. The international conference was held from July 26 to the 29. The sporting events were held from July 29 to August 5.-History:...
also demand United Nations and all states to recognise every May 17 as the International Day Against Homophobia.
In 2010, Lula
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
, the then president of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, signed an act that instituted May 17 as the National Day Against Homophobia.
Much movement towards reaching these goals has been made achieved by the French government, particularly by Human Rights Minister Rama Yade
Rama Yade
Rama Yade is a French politician who served in the government of France from 2007 to 2010. She was Secretary of State for Sports and married to Joseph Zimet - son of Yiddish singer Ben Zimet, an adviser to Secretary of State Jean-Marie Bockel.- Early life :Yade was born in Ouakam, Senegal. She...
. Working closely with the Netherlands, the French government convened a World Congress on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity on May 15, 2009.
For 2009, the IDAHO campaign was mostly focused on transphobia, i.e. violence against trans' people. The IDAHO then became the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. A new petition was launched, in conjunction with other LGBT organisations, and it was supported by more than 300 NGOs from 75 countries, by 3 Nobel Prize winners (Elfriede Jelinek, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Luc Montagnier). And on the eve of the 2009 IDAHO day, France became the first country in the world to officially remove transgender issues from its list of mental illnesses .
The latest report that the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association, ILGA, released on the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia 2009, confirms that no less than 80 countries around the world still consider homosexuality illegal and in 7 of them, homosexual acts are punishable by death. In almost all countries, transphobic laws limit the freedom not to act as socially determined by one person’s sex at birth.
Historical perspective
The idea of the Day was launched in 2004. The date of May 17 was chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders in 1990.By May 17, 2005, as a result of a year long campaigning effort, 24 000 people worldwide and reputed international organizations like ILGA, IGLHRC, the World Congress of LGBT Jews, the Coalition of African Lesbians, to name but a few, had signed the appeal to support the IDAHO initiative.
In May 2005 already, activities took place on IDAHO in many countries in the world. First LGBT events ever were organized in Congo, China and Bulgaria.
Organizations in more than 70 countries in the world now invest International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia as part of their annual mobilization plan. In some of them, the Day has become the major focal point or action.
IDAHO has now been officially recognized by the EU Parliament, Spain, Belgium, the UK, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, France, Luxemburg and lately Brazil. It is also recognized by numerous local authorities across the world, like the province of Quebec, the city of Buenos Aires, etc.
In several countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Australia, Croatia, etc. national civil society coalitions have called upon by their authorities to have the Day recognized.
Support
Very few countries are making a move towards full legal and social equality for people who want to live in a same-sex relationship or express their gender freedom, hiding the blatant Human Rights violation behind arguments of cultural sovereignty as the freedom to express one’s sexual or gender preferences is labeled as a foreigncultural imposition.
Reflecting State-sponsored homophobia and Transphobia, social attitudes discriminate against sexual minorities and Trans people, sometimes in the violent forms of persecutions, verbal and physical abuse, and even hate-crimes. As a result, in many of these countries where political and/or social homophobia and transphobia are extreme, emerging LGBT movements are very vulnerable and isolated.
- Break the isolation of local activists by weaving their actions into a global network that promotes a very large agenda ranging from anti-hate crime advocacy to criminalisation of homophobia.
- Challenge the paradigm of Western imposition by exposing the diversity of the sexual rights and gender freedom agenda and place it into national cultural and historical contexts.
- Reach out to constituencies that join the concern to fight hate crimes and violence, without necessarily making sexual freedom or gender variance a priority focus.
To contribute to answering these challenges, an initiative was developed in 2004 to create an International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).
The main purpose of the day is to create a moment, a space, that local groups can use as an opportunity to take action and harness to engage into dialogue with the media, policy makers, public opinion, other civil society or religious groups, etc.
The idea behind the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia is to create something that can be visible at global level without needing to conform to one or other specific type of action as the sheer diversity of social, religious, cultural and political contexts in which the rights to express gender freedom and to engage in same-sex relationships needs to be addressed makes it impossible for a global campaigning movement to take one specific form of expression or even one central policy agenda.
The International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia is about unity in spirit and diversity in expressions.
The Day creates an opportunity for all to :
- Draw media attention to the issue of homophobia and transphobia
- To organize events which mobilize public opinion
- To engage in lobbying activities
- To organize joint campaigning actions
- To network with like-minded organizations
- To develop new partnerships
- To address new constituencies
See also
- BiphobiaBiphobiaBiphobia is a term used to describe aversion felt toward bisexuality and bisexuals as a social group or as individuals. People of any sexual orientation can experience such feelings of aversion...
- HeterosexismHeterosexismHeterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It can include the presumption that everyone is heterosexual or that opposite-sex attractions and relationships are the only norm and therefore superior...
- HomophobiaHomophobiaHomophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
- LGBT rights by country or territory
- LGBT social movementsLGBT social movementsLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
- National Coming Out DayNational Coming Out DayNational Coming Out Day is an internationally observed civil awareness day celebrating individuals who publicly identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender—coming out regarding one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity being akin to a cultural rite of passage for LGBT people...
- TransphobiaTransphobiaTransphobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards transsexualism and transsexual or transgender people, based on the expression of their internal gender...
- Declaration of MontrealDeclaration of MontrealThe Declaration of Montreal on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Human Rights is a document adopted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on July 29, 2006, by the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights which formed part of the first World Outgames. The Declaration outlines a number of rights...
External links
- http://www.idahomophobia.org/ — Official site (en)
- http://idahofrance.fr/index.html/ — Official site (fr)
- International Day Against Homophobia Hong Kong (IDAHO HK)— Regional site of Hong Kong Campaign
- RainbowFlash (ru) (en) (de) - Russian-Germany Campaign
- Project IDAHO launched by the social network Gays.com and the Committee for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO)
- International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA)
- Cuba & World Day against Homophobia, Havana Times, May 16 2009
- The WWP's Images Against Homophobia- 'Images Against Homophobia' photography exhibition helps mark IDAHO Day 2011 in over 20 cities worldwide.