The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia is annually observed across the globe on 17 May to commemorate the day on which the World Health Organization(WHO) decided to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.
- The day highlight the violence and discrimination faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+), others with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities.
Theme:
The theme of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia 2024 is “No One Left Behind: equality, freedom and justice for all”.
- The theme was decided through extensive consultations with LGBTQIA+ organizations worldwide.
- The 2024 theme emphasises solidarity and aims for a world without injustice, where no one is left behind.
Background:
i.The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia was established in 2004.
ii.The day was founded by Louis-Georges Tin, a French academic, gay rights campaigner, and anti-racist activist.
- Louis-Georges Tin sought to raise awareness of the violence and discrimination faced by the Lesbian Gay Bisexual, and Trans+ (LGBT+) Community globally.
iii.Initially, it was managed by the IDAHO Committee and is now collectively managed in collaboration between the regional and thematic networks.
- Collaboration involves global, regional, national, and local organisations.
Significance:
i.The Day is currently celebrated in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal.
ii.The global observance of the day witness the participation of diverse entities. As a result, the day is observed under different names. Some include Lesbophobia or Intersexphobia as a distinct focuses.
iii.The acronyms of the day also varies from the initial IDAHO to IDAHOT or IDAHOBIT.
WHO & Homosexuality:
i.In 1948, WHO published International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 6, which included a classification of mental disorders. ICD-6 classified homosexuality as a sexual deviation and later WHO listed homosexuality as a disease in the ICD -9 in 1977.
ii.On 17th May 1990, The 43rd World Health Assembly endorsed the decision to removed the item from the list.
- ICD 10 states that sexual orientation by itself is not to be considered a disorder.
iii.ICD-11 adopted in 2019, replaces “transsexualism” with “gender incongruence,” emphasising a shift towards understanding it as a condition related to sexual health, not a mental and behavioural disorder.
2024 Events:
World Bank commemorates the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia on 20 May 2024 in Washington, D.C, the United States of America (USA).
Key Facts:
i.The Netherlands became the 1st country to legalise same-sex marriage in 2001.
ii.South Africa is the only African country with legalise same-sex marriage.
iii.As of May 2024, Taiwan and Nepal are the only Asian countries that nationally recognize same-sex marriage.
