IDAHOBIT - What and why?

The 17th May is International Day Against Homophobia Biphobia and Transphobia (and let’s throw in Lesbophobia as well). Why 17th May? That was the day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. Yes, you read right - 1990 - that’s only 30 years ago. Even more sobering is the fact that today homosexuality is still punishable by death in 8 countries. In other countries anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has become widespread and LGBTQ+ people have been targeted in attacks (Poland and Chechnya for example).

But even closer to home hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have trebled in the last 3 years. According to Stonewall, 1 in 5 people in the UK has experienced hate crime because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months;- two in five trans people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity in the last 12 months; and four in five anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes and incidents go unreported. Who can forget the images two years ago of those two women who were beaten up in a London bus for refusing to kiss to entertain a group of young men? In France too, homophobic hate crimes have increased by 36% - most disturbingly a spate of homophobic attacks in Paris’ gay quarter.

Let’s put this another way – being homosexual or transgender is as intrinsically part of who you are as having green or brown eyes. Yes, you can wear lenses to disguise your eye colour but your real colour will always be there. Imagine then, that you risk being attacked for having green eyes or having to wear shades permanently to hide your eye colour.

I stand with all my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters who are brave enough to be visible to remember all of those who have suffered and hope that by talking about this, things will get better. This day should be used to remember that discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ people is real – we need to ensure awareness and unite to prevent it from happening.