The 17th May is the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia
First chosen to commemorate homosexuality’s declassification as a mental illness by the World Health Organisation in 1990, May 17th marks what has become the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia – IDAHOBIT. This decentralised global event celebrates worldwide sexual and gender diversity, but it is more than a celebration – it is also a vital moment to highlight the persistent injustices that LGBTQIA+ people face across the world.
TGEU’s recently published Trans Rights Index and Map for 2025 reveals that for the first time in its 13-year history, it has measured greater setbacks than progress for the human rights of transgender people across Europe and Central Asia. Accordingly, this regressive ‘tipping point’ towards greater transphobia marks a dangerous international trend, with significant rollbacks of rights in Georgia, Hungary, and Bosnia, as well as growing institutional movements in countries like the UK and Germany, which seek to erode existing protections and foster more hostile social norms.
More broadly, ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map indicates that Italy, the UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands scored higher for LGBTQIA+ legal and policy protections in 2015 than they do in 2025. This stagnation – and in many cases active decline – especially affects the most marginalised members of the LGBTQIA+ community: trans people, people of colour, disabled people, intersex individuals, asylum seekers, sex workers, and people living with HIV.
Correspondingly, the lived reality behind these data points is stark, with significantly reduced perceptions of safety from violence. Across the EU, 54% of LGBTQIA+ people report experiencing harassment in the past year – rising to 75% among trans people. These figures have significantly increased between 2019 and 2024, alongside rising EU-average rates of anti-LGBTQIA+ violence and bullying.
The Power of Communities
Against this backdrop, IDAHOBIT is more relevant than ever – especially recognising the diverse and intersectional dangers faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, queer, intersex, and asexual individuals in varied contexts worldwide. Indeed, one of the greatest strengths of the LGBTQIA+ coalition is the ability to find unity and togetherness through diversity – solidarity across difference is both a value and a strategy for survival.
So, fittingly, this year’s IDAHOBIT theme is ‘The Power of Communities’. At a time when there seems to be a global coordinated movement against LGBTQIA+ rights, IDAHOBIT is an opportunity to strengthen local and global alliances, take collective action, raise awareness, and show solidarity as allies – bringing together individuals, organisations, and governments to highlight issues faced by LGBTQIA+ people around the world. Together – as communities in community – we can use our power to fight for the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people worldwide.