Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT)—but it’s really more than that, with two other key civil rights events also happening on this day in history!
On May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses—which is why the day is now observed as IDAHOBIT, “A Worldwide Celebration of Sexual and Gender Diversities.” This year, for the first time since the COVID pandemic, organizations on every continent (except Antarctica) are celebrating in person. The event is now observed in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal.
This year’s theme is “Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Rights.” The organizers note that under this theme, “many forms of advocacy are possible: claiming our rights to live our sexualities and to express our gender(s) freely, but also demanding to be from physical violence, from conversion so-called ‘therapies’ to forced sterilisation of Trans and Intersex people.” For those of us in the U.S., the theme may have particular resonance right now given the many recent attempts to restrict transgender people from accessing medically proven, gender affirming healthcare, and to ban or restrict abortion access.
Not connected to the event, but also of note on this day: Starting on May 17, 2004, same-sex couples could legally marry in Massachusetts—the first U.S. state to permit them to do so. (Bonus LGBTQ parenting fun fact: Four of the five plaintiff couples in the lawsuit that won marriage equality were parents.)
And on May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark decision striking down racial segregation in education.
However you choose to honor this day and whatever you choose to celebrate, may it give you strength and commitment for the civil rights struggles we are still fighting.