The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia takes place each year on May 17th, both in the United States and abroad. Conceptualized in 2004 by Louis-Georges Tin, the first observance took place in May of 2005 and was specifically chosen to commemorate when the term “homosexuality” was removed from the International Classification of Diseases by the World Health Organization.
While celebrated in the United States, this day holds particularly strong popularity in Europe and Latin America. The day was created to draw attention to the violence, discrimination and repression experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people across the world. One of the stated goals of the day is to “Create an event that can be visible at a global level without the need to conform to a specific type of action”. This is why the IDAHO Commission was originally created - to coordinate a number of grassroots actions and initiatives in a variety of countries to promote International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
With the day’s popularity ever increasing, the observance is now celebrated in over 130 different countries around the world, including 27 countries where same-sex acts remain illegal to this day. The day is commemorated with public events in nearly all countries that mark it for celebration. The most common events include parades, street marches and festivals.
