ANNUAL ¨RALLYING EVENT¨ MAY 17th: The International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO)

The International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), held on May 17 every year, is a rallying event offering an opportunity for people to get together and reach out to one another. It aims to coordinate international events to call respect for lesbians and gays worldwide.

Unlike the Pride Days , which are meant to emphasize pride in one' sexuality and refusal to be ashamed of it, IDAHO is held to highlight that in reality it is homophobia that is shameful and must be deconstructed in its social logic and fought against openly.

May 17 was chosen as the day of the event because homosexuality was removed from the International Classifications of Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 17, 1990.

Homophobia is described as ‘hatred of homosexuality” “hatred of homosexuals” “fear of gays and lesbians” “a desire or attempt to discriminate against homosexual’’ and is fuelled by a multiple of reasons including inability or unwillingness to change the hatred taught during childhood, fear of people who are different, promotion of homophobia by religious groups, a natural feeling of repulsion at the thought of same-sex activity. Realizing that homosexual behavior is unnatural for them, some people generalize this feeling into the belief that homosexuality is wrong for everyone; actual homosexual feelings that a person cannot acknowledge or handle, low self esteem leading to a need to hate other groups, are also cited as fueling factors of homophobia.
Usually, homophobia manifests itself in many forms: Violence, insults, physical assaults, evictions, denial of services or rights and privileges, stigma, distancing, and in extreme form, death. There are even reported cases of desecrations of bodies of suspected gays by exhumation and further humiliation. please read it all HERE

Thanks to Gay Kenya and Denis Nzioka

UPDATED:  KENYA

Gay community, sex workers, health care providers, the police and legal representatives join in to mark IDAHO

Kenyans, drawn from the gay and lesbian community, male and female sex workers, representatives of the police force, health care providers and also legal professionals came together to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO)in Kisumu, Kenya...¨ please read it all, HERE