Events announced on all continents for May 17 #IDAHOTB #IDAHOBIT 2020

Despite the limitations due to lockdown and physical distancing measures, the world is getting ready again to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17.

Our website saw registration of events such as Live streams, discussions, poetry readings, and much more, on all continents and as far as Lesotho, or as challenging for the rights of sexual and gender minorities as Egypt.

Organisations are engaging as creatively as possible given the present circumstances. A big shout out to all who are not being silenced by the Covid19 crisis but remind us all of how important it is, now more than ever, to stick together and find ways to stay connected.

Note: Due to limited capacity, we are only bringing information here on events directly reported to us. This is just the “tip of the iceberg” and many more events will happen around the world. We are trying our best to keep up with these on our social media. Stay tuned in!

Do you know of an event not listed here? Send us a message

In Mexico, #LiberaTuOrgullo organises a Live stream with 30+ celebrities,  newsmakers, influencers and activists joining voices to share their vision a world without stigma and LGBTphobias

in Canada, Halifax Pride has asked local 2SLGBTQ+ artists to create colouring pages inspired by the Day and will invite the public to colour them together on Zoom
Still in Canada, the Quebec-based Fondation Emergence focuses its annual May 17 campaign this year on “Family support”, with campaign material available in 20 languages.

In Azerbaijan an online campaign run by Rengareng Azerbaycan (Colorful Azerbaijan), a LGBTQ+ platform based on Azerbaijan asks supporters to draw a rainbow on a piece of paper, hang it on window, take a picture of it and share on social media

In Germany, the traditional “Rainbow Flashmobs” which has crowds fly rainbow-colored balloons, will be taken online with e-messages being released all day long.

IDAHOBIT 2020 will no doubt be once again largely marked in Australia, with campaigns such as Victoria’s LGBTIQA+ Basketball team Bushrangers who shares stories of their members every day of the week in the run up to May 17.

In Sitges, Spain, the silence will be broken “with songs and music, with words and musical notes that various artists will perform online all evening”. Other groups in Sitges organise a virtual “flower offering” event that invites supporters to take pictures of flowers and share them online to mark their love and support.

Despite the COVID situation, not all events will happen online. In Monterrey Mexico, the Municipal Palace will light up in purple to honor the municipal proclamation of May 17th as Monterrey Day Against LGBTIphobia.

Further down, in Chile, at least 39 Embassies and official entities will fly the rainbow flag

In Eastern Africa, a live streaming event will feature creative Queer artists from the continent and beyond. Expect music, poetry and talks from various artists including Dope Saint Jude, Alasarah , Jojo Abot and many more.

And a wide group of Nigerian LGBTQI+ groups organises a similar event for Nigerian communities worldwide and their friends

In Croatia, Zagreb Pride will launch a recent research, concluding that 6 out of 10 LGBTI persons in the Republic of Croatia experienced some sort of violence in the streets, squares, workplaces and households. Meanwhile in the city of Rijeka, Lesbian Organisation LORI will “break the silence in the Croatian Education System” with a media campaign on the importance of education on LGBTI topics. LORI will create series of articles and videos that include LGBTI youth stories. May 17 activities also include the City Hall flying a rainbow flag, which it has consistently been doing since 2013.

Still in the Balkans, queer women from Albania are organising this year the country’s first ever Dyke March in Tirana and Albanian will also be able to join Queer talks on queer online readings. Their neighbouring Serbians will be invited to show support to their LBTQI+ friends, or join an arts competition.

Georgian activists from Tbilisi Pride decided to show both solidarity and pride on the occasion of forthcoming #IDAHOBIT. They will disseminate safety masks, featuring rainbow colours, to supporters and community members in need.

Further up north, Latvian youth will discuss LGBT+ rights and rainbow flags will be raised in Lithuania. In Ukraine the Day will be political, as LGBTQI+ groups bring the issue of registered partnerships on the table, but also social and fun on Instagram where users can create “halos” around their faces in the colours of several LGBTQI+ flags.

In Tunisia, the Mawjoudin queer film festival will go online for “a day of exploration, resistance, and celebration where you will attend the launch of Mawjoudin’s campaign and many Queer performances, a celebration of Queer humanity and grace.”

In Lebanon, the May 17 coincides with the Candlelight Memorial day so supporters will be invited to go online and to light a virtual candle that will contribute to illuminating the event’s website.

In Armenia, this year’s May 17 campaign includes a photo flashmob with quotes from celebrities worldwide who have spoken out in favor of LGBTI+ people’s right to “live a full and happy life”.
The photo flashmob will also include photo messages dedicated to IDAHOBIT 2020 from representatives of diplomatic missions, local and international organizations, human rights defenders, community members and allies.

In Uganda, a Photo exhibition aims at “humanizing the LGBTIQ community in Uganda” and in Ghana, the situation of LGBT people will be discussed on an online broadcast.

In Thailand, voices of support to sexual and gender diversities will resonate all day with video speeches from the International diplomacy bodies, Thai community-based organizations, allies, and supporters from different sectors.  Plus online mini-concert of LGBT artists/performers.

In Belgium, Rainbow flags will this year again fly from many City Halls and other official buildings.

Media campaigns on issues related to sexual and gender diversities have been announced in the Philippines, Japan and Israel, and many more places will surely see renewed activism on May 17.

Amidst the COVID19 crisis, Pakistani LGBTI activist will host online #IDAHOBIT event. Scholars and LGBTI pioneers in Pakistan will share their experience on struggling for LGBTI rights in this country.

In Singapore, Sayoni will organize a webinar on how LGBTIQ persons can cope with hostile family environments during Covid-19.

In Viet Nam, UniGEN will organize an online series of activities to destigmatize misunderstandings about sexual minorities and do livestream to share stories of minority groups within the LGBTIQ community. Organizations of women loving women in different provinces will organize events to increase the presence of the LBQ persons. Hanoi Pride will organize the online campaign #PrideAtHome to encourage LGBTIQ persons share their voices and stories.

In Myanmar, contestants will enter poem and video competitions on tiktok, in presence of a Drag make-up artist

A video campaign is also on the agenda in Sri Lanka, under the auspices of LGBTQI+ organisation Equité

The Asia-wide network Youth Voices Count invites members to produce colourful Mandalas, and in Southeast Asia, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus will organize a talk on Homo-Bi-Transphobia in the time of Corona to generate ideas for collective actions and solidarity among our community and allies to survive pandemic.

May 17 being on a Sunday, the Christian communities will also gear up with special initiatives, such as this Florida Sunday worship service that will “uplift LGBTQIA+/TGQNB people and communities” through images, music, readings and a sermon called “Love Doesn’t Care.”

And other faith-based LGBT groups will also use the opportunity of May 17 to revive activism and shed a light on the specific role of religions in the fight for sexual and gender diversities. In Indonesia for example LGBT groups will organise a webinar on progressive interpretations of Christian and Muslim sacred  texts

In Venezuela, the largest national report ever on the situation of LGBTQI+ people will be released and discussed in Parliament.

As many of us are still confined, respecting the measures and recommendations regarding physical dstance, LGBT Scotland decided to mark IDAHOBIT with the interactive digital workshop – LGBTI World Tour!
Using Google Maps Street View, you’ll take a tour of some of the world’s monuments to LGBTI people, learning more about their lives and the events that brought them into the public consciousness as you go.

In the Netherlands a May 17 vigil will take place in a local church in Rotterdam, broadcasted by the regional television, while the LGBT+ Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council will reflect on key Biblical texts as they impact on LGBT+ Catholics, parents and families.

International and regional bodies and organisations are also announcing their May 17 actions and will this year again join the voices for diversity. We expect most UN agencies to mark the Day again this year, as they always do, despite the situation.

The Global LGBTQI+ umbrella organisation ILGA are launching calls for action both at regional and global levels. The European chapter will release its annual report and scorecards on the legal and policy situation for sexual and gender minorities and intersex people in the region.

The “core group of countries” supporting sexual and gender diversities at the United Nations will organise an online High Level event featuring Mr Madrigal-Borloz, the Independent Expert on Protection against Violence and Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

The International Monetary Fund will mark the day with a Fund-wide email from Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva sharing her support and reaffirming the IMF’s stance on equality. The institution also organises an internal webinar on “the importance of recognizing that equality of those of different sexual/gender orientations across the world is in the best interest of everyone”, and an internal photo challenge showing solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community by sharing a picture with Pride colors.

The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Inter-American Development Bank will join hands for the first time this year to organise a joint IDAHOTB commemoration.

Last but not least, we have heard of several initiatives by companies whose LGBTQI+ staff networks are organising online social events and collective videos.

Find details of these events on the respective Country pages on this site (access via the interactive map, or by scrolling down the posts) or on our social media, where upcoming announcements will be posted