General questions
The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) is a global moment of solidarity and visibility for LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities. It is observed every year on 17 May, and brings together individuals, organisations, and governments from around the world to raise awareness about the issues facing LGBTQIA+ people, and to advocate for policies and laws that protect their rights.
Since 2004, IDAHOBIT has provided a crucial platform to raise awareness of the violence and discrimination faced by LGBTQIA+ communities, mobilising organisations, activists, institutions, and allies worldwide.
IDAHOBIT is not a campaign, but a global moment for collective action, solidarity, and visibility. It is a day for diverse stakeholders—grassroots activists, organisations, institutions, and allies—to come together, each in their own way, to highlight the realities of LGBTQIA+ lives and amplify calls for change. The strength of IDAHOBIT lies in its decentralised nature, allowing communities to shape their own events while contributing to a shared global impact. Everyone can organise their own initiative so that, together, we can connect in a global moment.
The IDAHO Committee, as it was originally called, was created in 2004 by the founders of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT). The day of 17 May was specifically chosen to commemorate IDAHOBIT, as it marks the day in 1990 when the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. WHO’s decision was a major milestone in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Since its creation in 2004, IDAHOBIT has provided a crucial platform for us to come together, each in our own way, to amplify calls for change. The day has been used as an opportunity to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex people, as well as others with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics.
IDAHOBIT is currently marked in 155 countries and territories, including 35 where consensual same-sex acts are illegal, with thousands of initiatives reported around the world each year. IDAHOBIT has been officially recognised by several States, marked by international institutions such as the European Parliament, and supported by countless local authorities. Most United Nations agencies also mark the day with specific events.
IDAHOBIT is not owned or controlled by any single organisation. It is a decentralised initiative supported by activists and organisations worldwide.
Originally managed by the IDAHO Committee, key strategic decisions are now made by the IDAHOBIT Advisory Group, which includes global, regional, and national organisations and networks.
Since January 2023, ILGA World has hosted the Advisory Group and coordinated global outreach, documentation, and resources on their behalf.
All key strategic decisions about the IDAHOBIT initiative are made by an Advisory Group composed of regional and international organisations and networks from around the world.
IDAHOBIT is an international day that does not belong to any single entity. Everyone is free to frame the day in a way that reflects their context and priorities.
For example, in Latin America, “lesbophobia” is often included. In Brazil, the day is recognised as the National Day Against LGBTQIA+ Phobia. In some regions, intersex communities add “intersexphobia” to the name, while in others they do not. Similarly, asexual movements may explicitly mention “acephobia”.
Our role is to document global events and provide resources. Groups are free to name and frame the day in the way that suits their needs.
We acknowledge that the acronym and name of the day do not capture the full scope of our communities. This is why the tagline “a worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversities” was added alongside the acronym. While this is not a perfect solution, we hope future discussions in the Advisory Group will lead to more inclusive ways of naming the day.
We monitor IDAHOBIT activities through event registrations, social media engagement, and reports from organisations worldwide. This data is compiled into an annual impact report.
Actions and events
There are many ways to take part in IDAHOBIT, whether you are an individual, organisation, or government. Some ideas include joining a local LGBTQIA+ organisation, attending events and activities, volunteering your time and resources, raising awareness online, or advocating for policy change.
For more ideas and resources, visit our Get involved page.
Once you register your event, our team will review it and add it to the global list of IDAHOBIT activities.
Please note that the IDAHOBIT Advisory Board and ILGA World do not assume any responsibility for the events listed on the website, which may not necessarily reflect their views. The partner organisations do not endorse or take any responsibility for the content or organisation of these events.
Our initiative specifically documents and reports events organised around 17 May to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT).
While we understand that it can share similar goals, we do not document an event, project, or activity if it falls outside the scope of IDAHOBIT.
It may take some time for your event to appear as our team reviews submissions before publishing them. If your event hasn’t appeared within a few days, please contact us.
There are many ways to mark IDAHOBIT even if you can’t participate in events or activities in person, such as donating to an organisation that supports LGBTQIA+ rights, showing your support on social media, advocating for policy change, or educating yourself and others about the issues facing LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities.
For more ideas and resources, visit our Get involved page.
Unfortunately, we do not have a budget to provide financial support or sponsorship for organisations or activities. We understand that many of our communities are underfunded and face significant challenges in accessing resources. This is precisely why we focus on providing free materials—so that organisations can use their limited capacities for organising actions and supporting their communities rather than developing additional resources from scratch.
Visuals and social media
Yes, all resources provided on the IDAHOBIT website are free to use for non-commercial purposes. All resources should only be used in connection with events and activities that promote our goals and values, so please ensure that materials are not modified in a way that misrepresents the initiative.
Please note that the IDAHOBIT Advisory Board and ILGA World do not assume any responsibility for the events listed on the website, which may not necessarily reflect their views. The partner organisations do not endorse or take any responsibility for the content or organisation of these events.
You can download official visuals, toolkits, and social media assets on Visual assets.
Although the initiative has no official hashtags, we encourage you to include #IDAHOBIT2025 to your posts: this will help us monitor the global reach of the day!
While we cannot promote every event individually, we actively engage with posts related to IDAHOBIT. Tag us and use the hashtag #IDAHOBIT2025 so we can amplify your post.
Media and press
For media inquiries, please reach out to us using the contact form. We can also connect journalists with members of our Advisory Group who can offer insights from different regions.
We do not conduct research apart from documenting global actions around IDAHOBIT. However, on “Resources” you can find a list of resources with valuable information and insights into the experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ people across different countries and regions around the world.