International Day Against Homophobia: How The World Celebrated

Today, the world made a statement about tolerance. May 17, 2011 marks the 21st annual International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), the anniversary of the World Health Organization declassifying homosexuality as a mental illness. From activism in Asia to transvestite beauty pageants in Cuba, here's how the world spoke out against homophobia and transphobia.

Asia
Numerous Asian organizations are asking the World Health Organization to do more to follow-up on its previously released statement:

"The World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases on May 17th, 1990...Yet over two decades later, stigma and discrimination against homosexuals still exists, and can result in restricted access to health services and missed targets for health programmes...."

Activists are calling on the WHO to lobby for national health authorities worldwide to include its 1990 guidelines.

France
France's IDAHO Committee has ranked each ministry in its fight against homophobia and transphobia, according to IDAHO France. The ministries of education, justice and overseas territories rank last. The ministry of culture also got a bottom ranking, although it's headed by Frederic Mitterand, who is openly gay.

U.S.
U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton released a statement that she, President Obama and the entire U.S. support IDAHO. She asks people to "redouble" their efforts to fight intolerance, drawing on specific examples such as condemning Uganda's proposed anti-homosexuality bill:

"These are not Western concepts; these are universal human rights.."

Cuba
Cuba held a transvestite beauty pageant called Miss Travesti to celebrate IDAHO. In addition, Havana hosted parades and other events, examples of how far Cuba has come since the 1960s and 1970s when gay citizens were reportedly persecuted.

Canada
Canada's using IDAHO as a teachable moment. The 340,000-member National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is urging union members and the general public to fight against homophobia and transphobia. On the union website, NUPGE National President James Clancy recognizes the strides Canada has made and calls awareness to the need for equality around the world:

"While unions have successfully campaigned for equal rights for LGBT people in the Canada, around the world the situation is sadly very different."

Support campaigns to end homophobia today and every day by clicking below.

Comments

[LMPE]

03:13 PM on 05/20/2011

I hope that someone sent Fred Phelps a rainbow flag!

[MeRainyday]

03:19 PM on 05/19/2011

So fine.... and 'just in time'. My gay nephew was just 21... so only 'crazy' a few days!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to him and Happy 21st IDAHO. We still have a lot of work to do throughout the world.
Now we have RICKY MARTIN working for us. and Sports figures as well as more and more
celebrities.
Everyone needs to come out at their own time. Hopefully it is mostly empowering if not joyous for all.

[Nec V20]

05:04 PM on 05/18/2011

Years ago I celebrated something that probably all of you missed and will not have the chance to celebrate again for over 1,100 years. It was "Happy Odd Day" and it was celebrated on 19th November 1999 (11/19/1999) that was the last time that there will be no even numbers in the date until 11/11/3111.

Why mention this? Because I am a member of a special minority called "Geeks" (the difference between a Nerd and a Geek is that a Geek is a Nerd who actually likes what he does) and we don't care about sexual orientation, religion, etc.

OK having done Tech-Support I have an abiding hatred for (L)users but I am an equal opportunity offender with regard to this feeling and a (L)user being gay or not doesn't add or subtract anything in this regard.

Perhaps it is because I have Asperger's syndrome that whenever I am with non-Geeks in a social setting my reaction to someone pointing to someone else and making a comment like "He/she is gay/lesbian" is "So what?".

I'm not a great fan of gays snogging or getting off with each other in public but that is just something that I'm not comfortable with for myself - a bit like taking the last cookie out of the jar - when my wife and I were together before she died (*SHOCK* - yes there are some female non-techies who will actually marry a Geek).

[gaydood]

11:54 AM on 05/18/2011

gliter for all !

[LeBelAge]

06:29 PM on 05/18/2011

Feel the rainbow!

[UserNameJane]

11:31 AM on 05/18/2011

I this is great, but I live for the day when we dont need stories like this and or events.

[tibetanterrier]

11:38 AM on 05/18/2011

I agree. There will be a time when affirmative action won't be needed or gay pride month will be celebrated via film and history without the parades and pomp. no where near but someday.

[gaydood]

10:54 AM on 05/18/2011

HAPPY GAY DAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OPEN THAT DOOR AND COME ON OUT:)

[daffey]

10:47 AM on 05/18/2011

Why do I get the feeling that people 500 years from now will look back on this and conclude that it defined our era? There may have been wars, genocides, floods, disasters, earthquakes, collapse of civilizations and starvation on historically unprecedented scales - but by golly we took care of the important things - protesting in the name of a vaguely defined term that is used to shut down debate rather than explain anything! Hurray for us!

[RBLRDR]

10:52 AM on 05/18/2011

Are you worried today about what defined people 500 years ago? I didn't think so. And 500 years from now they'll have their problems to deal with.

[daffey]

11:14 AM on 05/18/2011

Are you kidding me? All we do is focus on anything and everything for the last 1000 years. And I didn't meant the focus was on the term. The focus will be on our priorities.

[Jason N]

11:02 AM on 05/18/2011

"protesting in the name of a vaguely defined term that is used to shut down debate rather than explain anything!"

Yeah I know, sin really is a vaguely defined term used to shut down debate too often in this country...

[daffey]

11:13 AM on 05/18/2011

Well, it's not as vague as we probably wish.

[youguyscrackmeup]

04:48 PM on 05/18/2011

well you go ahead and stay pious while the rest of us go to he||. I sure you and God have lots to discuss.

[riverkwai1]

10:19 AM on 05/18/2011

Obviously HP did not celebrate by ending libs using gay slurs against conservatives on its boards. Oh well maybe next year.

[DevonTexas]

10:31 AM on 05/18/2011

yeah, right. that'll end homophobia, won't it?

for each case of your allegation, there's thousands of reichwingera using gay slurs. Look to the plank in your own eye before you seek the splinter in someone else's.

[happyfella73]

10:23 AM on 05/18/2011

The only thing freaky here, is your casual bigotry

[DevonTexas]

10:32 AM on 05/18/2011

flagged

[yomam]

09:33 AM on 05/18/2011

the guy on the right in the blonde wig really helps their cause.

[Jason N]

10:26 AM on 05/18/2011

Yeah, straight people never dress up, and they never cross dress. Why just ask old Rudy up in NY...

[yomam]

10:41 AM on 05/18/2011

irrelevant, we're talking pr, not an episode of glee.

[harbormick]

11:09 AM on 05/18/2011

Or the tea party

[RBLRDR]

11:00 AM on 05/18/2011

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_E8BpJEni77I/TUxw6KjyjaI/AAAAAAAAN78/UHOP4c8qink/s400/cheesehead2.jpg

[happyfella73]

10:20 AM on 05/18/2011

i pity you and anyone who comes into contact with you

[CHMB]

10:24 AM on 05/18/2011

I flagged the comment.

[TheIndependentView]

09:08 AM on 05/18/2011

I think I understand the meaning of the celebration but the name of the day is misleading and discriminatory.

[QuakerJewish]

01:01 PM on 05/19/2011

If you understood the meaning of it all, you would not have used the label "celebration" or found the name of the day misleading or discriminatory.
This is a day of protest. Specifically, a protest against homophobia.

You'll get it when you see the name fits precisely the mission for this day.

[chipchuck]

09:01 AM on 05/18/2011

I'd hate to be a homophobe caught unaware with that parade going through. LOL

[DUSAA-1775]

08:55 AM on 05/18/2011

One in four people are muslim.... This article seems to have skipped over their celebrations.

[chipchuck]

09:02 AM on 05/18/2011

Probably because the celebration was about the gays, not about the muslims.

[Hardyman1966]

05:41 PM on 05/21/2011

There you go again.  Showing off the reading comprehension skills...  :)

[Today2011]

08:48 AM on 05/18/2011

Keep building upon the good that has been done. Be positive roll models.