OUTBermuda IDAHOBIT Observance
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
Friday, May 15 | 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m | Steps of City Hall
OUTBermuda invites members of Bermuda’s LGBTQ+ community, allies, nonprofit leaders, political leaders, business leaders, faith leaders, families, friends, and members of the public to join us for Bermuda’s first public observance of IDAHOBIT.
IDAHOBIT stands for the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. It is marked around the world each year on May 17 as a day of action, awareness, solidarity, and visibility for LGBTQIA+ people.
The date recognizes the World Health Organization’s May 17, 1990 decision to remove homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases. You can learn more about the international day at may17.org.
Although IDAHOBIT is observed globally, this will be the first time Bermuda publicly marks the day in this way.
We are doing this because LGBTQ+ Bermudians and residents still face harm caused by homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, shame, public ridicule, bullying, discrimination, and silence. These harms affect people at school, at work, in families, in faith spaces, online, and in public life.
For many LGBTQ+ people, especially young people, this can lead to isolation, poor mental health, fear, and a deep sense that they do not belong. Transgender and non-binary people in Bermuda face added stigma, misunderstanding, and gaps in safety, healthcare, and legal protection.
OUTBermuda has also recently completed Bermuda’s first national LGBTQ+ survey and research project, in partnership with Global Research. This has been a historic opportunity for LGBTQ+ people connected to Bermuda to share their experiences, needs, concerns, and hopes for the future.
We will use the data from this research to better advocate for and serve our community. We also plan to publish the findings to help amplify the voices, contributions, and needs of LGBTQ+ people connected to Bermuda.
Together, IDAHOBIT and this research project mark an important moment for Bermuda. We are creating more space for LGBTQ+ people to be heard, seen, protected, and included in decisions that affect our lives.
This event will create a public moment of solidarity. It will name the harm caused by homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. It will lift up the dignity of LGBTQ+ people in Bermuda. It will call on leaders, institutions, families, and allies to help build a Bermuda where LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen, valued and thriving.
OUTBermuda’s Policy Manifesto calls for stronger action to protect and support LGBTQ+ Bermudians. This includes targeted LGBTQ+ mental health support, clear school protocols to address anti-LGBTQ+ bullying and harassment, improved access to gender-affirming care, stronger confidentiality protections, the addition of gender identity to the Human Rights Act, and stronger legal protections against hate and discrimination.
You can read the full OUTBermuda Policy Manifesto here: outbermuda.org/policy-manifesto

Your Presence Matters
This event is for LGBTQ+ people and allies.
For LGBTQ+ people, showing up can be an act of visibility, pride, courage, healing, or quiet solidarity.
For allies, showing up matters because LGBTQ+ people should not have to carry this work alone.
Allyship means more than private support. It means standing with LGBTQ+ people in public. It means challenging harmful comments, speaking up against bullying, supporting inclusive policy, and helping create safer homes, schools, workplaces, churches, and community spaces. When allies show up, it sends a message to LGBTQ+ people across Bermuda:
You are not alone. You belong here. Your life has value. Your future matters.

Event Focus & Messaging
The event will include brief remarks and calls to action focused on:
• What IDAHOBIT is and why Bermuda is marking it now
• The harm caused by homophobia, biphobia and transphobia
• The importance of protecting LGBTQ+ young people
• Mental health, safety, and belonging
• The need for stronger protections in schools
• The importance of respecting and protecting trans and non-binary people
• OUTBermuda’s Policy Manifesto and calls for social and policy change
• The role of allies, leaders, families, faith communities, businesses, and public institutions
• Bermuda’s first national LGBTQ+ survey and research project

Invitation to Attend
We encourage you to attend and to bring someone with you.
Bring a colleague. Bring a friend. Bring a family member.
Bring someone who believes Bermuda can be more loving, more inclusive, and more courageous.
This is a public moment for Bermuda to stand together against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, and to stand for dignity, safety, belonging, and hope.
Let’s continue to build the Bermuda we deserve.