May 17: International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia

SEXUALITIES, 25 May 2015

IDAHO

• IDAHOT is the largest LGBTI solidarity event to take place throughout the globe with over 1,000 events taking place in more than 120 countries worldwide.
• Major international institutions (UN, EU, World Bank, etc.) mark the Day annually.

The situation remains overall very bad…

• Same sex relationships are still illegal in 76 countries. Source ILGA  
• These 76 countries represent 44% of the world population! Source: IDAHO Committee. Detailed figures HERE
• In relation to death penalty Mauritania, Sudan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen actually implement it. In Brunei, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Qatar it is on the statute but is not be implemented. In  Iraq, although not in the civil code,  judges and militias throughout the country issue the death sentence for same-sex sexual behaviours. Further, some provinces in Nigeria and Somalia officially implement the death penalty. Source ILGA
• In 2013, 5 billion people that is 70% of the world population live under laws and regulations that limit freedom of expression around sexual orientation and gender identity. This does NOT include the 8 US states which still have laws on the books that ban schools from teaching anything positive about homosexuality (Source: GLSEN.org). Only 0.06% live in countries formally protecting (but not always securing) people from homophobic hate speech. Source IDAHO Committee
• 70% of African countries have explicit criminal laws. In all other countries except South Africa, other legal restrictions apply to silence expressions of gender and sexual diversity. Source ILGA
• 22 out of 46 Asian countries criminalise same-sex behavior. Source ILGA
• Access here the 2014 joint UNAIDS/IDAHO Committee infographics on facts and figures for Latin America (coming soon)
• The TMM IDAHOT 2015 update reports a total of 1,731 cases of reported killings of trans and gender-diverse people from January 1st 2008 to December 31^st 2014.Source Trans Murder Monitoring Project
• In Europe only 37 states recognise a trans person’s gender identity. 23 states require for it a proof of sterilization. Only two countries, Malta and Denmark, do not request a mental health diagnosis. Source Transgender Europe

But the understanding and acceptance of sexual and gender diversity is growing…

• The World Health Organisation declassified homosexuality as a mental disease in its 1990 International Classification of Diseases Manual
• 87% of World countries are moving towards stronger approval of homesexual behavior. Source:International Social Survey Program, 2011 in Smith, Tom W. 2011. Attitudes towards Same-Gender, Sexual Behavior across Time and across Countries. Chicago, IL: NORC.
• A global survey showed that Kenya was the only surveyed country where acceptance of homosexuality was lower in young people than in their elders. Source International Social Survey Program 2008 in Public Attitudes towards Homosexuality and Gay Rights- Introduction across Time and Countries – Tom W. Smith,∗ Jaesok Son,† and Jibum Kim‡ November 2014
• Marriage is open for same-sex couples in 18 countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, Denmark, Brazil, France, Uruguay, New Zealand, UK (Excluding N. Ireland),  Finland, with Luxembourg and Slovenia joining in 2015. The state of Coahuila in Mexico and 19 further states in the United States of America have passed same-sex marriage laws in 2014, bringing the total number of US states legislating for marriage equality to 37 (plus the District of Columbia). Finland approved a marriage equality law in 2015 that will come into force in 2017, while Estonia approved a similar law in 2014, to come into force in 2016. Source ILGA
  17 additional countries recognize civil unions of people from the same sex. Source Wikipedia.
• Homosexual behavior has been observed in 1,500 animal species and is most widespread among animals with a complex herd life. Source: University of California – Riverside. “Same-sex Behavior Seen In Nearly All Animals, Review Finds.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 June 2009
• Access joint UN OHCHR/IDAHO Committee 2013 infographic on “Debunking the myth of homosexuality as a Western import”

Quick Links

More information on the history & significance of May 17 here.

Figures on the legal worldwide situation for LGB people: ILGA 

Figures on global violence against Trans people: Trans Murder Monitoring Project

Figures on the legal and social situation of Trans people in Europe: Transgender Europe

The IDAHO Committee

The IDAHO Committee was established by the founders of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in 2005. Its mission is to inspire, support, and promote the global mobilizations around May 17.

With contacts in LGBTI and human rights movements in over 120 countries worldwide, and with the privilege of a global panorama of actions planned worldwide for May 17, we are available to support journalists in reaching out to specific contacts, and to provide up-to-date and detailed information on actions for the Day.

Go to Original – dayagainsthomophobia.org

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