IDAHOBIT: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia 2023

May 17th marks ‘International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia’, a day to raise awareness of the discrimination and violence that faces LGBTQ+ people. It serves as a reminder of the challenges the LGBTQ+ community face and the steps we still need to take to achieve LGBTQ+ equality.

Together Always: United in Diversity

The theme of IDAHOBIT this year is “Together Always: United in Diversity”. It has been chosen in light of the increasingly anti-LGBTQ+ laws and rhetoric rippling across the world.

To highlight a few:

1. Last week, ILGA-Europe published their ‘rainbow map’, which ranks European nations based on their respective LGBTQ+ rights. Unfortunately, for a 7^th year in a row, the UK has dropped its ranking. Until 2015, the UK was the highest-ranking country in Europe; we now stand at 17^th.
2. Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill has come into force, which is eerily reminiscent of the UK’s own, now repealed, section 28. Various US states are also introducing bans on the queer art of drag.
3. In the UK, the Conservative-led Government recently blocked legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament that would transform the process to legally transition, allowing trans people to self-identify. This is the first time ever that section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 has been used to block a Scottish Parliaments bill. [Our Blog on this can be found here: 
4. The Ugandan parliament has passed the ‘Anti-Homosexuality Bill’ which pretty much does what it says on the tin - aims to suppress LGBTQ+ people. The law details that anyone who advocates or promotes LGBTQ+ rights can be served with a jail term of up to 20 years.

Each of these political developments have been made within the past year. Despite all the positive progress that has been made, anti-LGBTQ+ conservatism is still fighting back. The rights currently held by LGBTQ+ individuals are not concrete. They were earned through the hard-fought efforts of the LGBTQ+ community and Allies. This is why IDAHOBIT is so necessary. As the fight for equality continues, we must remember that these very rights can be given as quickly and easily as they can be taken away.

This political hostility can inspire discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, in direct or indirect forms. Physical violence against LGBTQ+ people has still not been eradicated in the UK. Queer people are at risk of being attacked due to their identity, and stories of queer death never become easier to read. Attacks against our community safe spaces continue in 2023, with a shop in Manchester Gay Village having its windows smashed and building vandalised three times over the past month. This is the reality of life as an LGBTQ+ person.

What is more of a daily occurrence is the discrimination that is indirect in nature. The discrimination that is hard to classify or detect and even harder for LGBTQ+ people to call out. This is so commonplace that environments may quickly become toxic and harmful for a queer individual's mental health. 

This week is coincidentally ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’, which is honouring the theme of ‘Anxiety’. This is particularly pertinent to lots of individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, who often find themselves questioning their confidence, what they’re wearing, how they sound, and overall, how they will be perceived. A study by Stonewall found that in 2021, half of LGBTQ+ people had experienced depression, and three in five had experienced anxiety. Feelings of shame and un-belonging are not abnormal for Queer people. Mental health as an LGBTQ+ individual is often linked to the acceptance of your identity. Queer people are brought up to be inherently ashamed and feelings like this do not disappear with age. Being able to confide in friends and allies, who are there to listen non-judgmentally, can make a significant difference to lift and share the burden that LGBTQ+ people carry.

Allyship

IDHABOIT is not just about focusing on the negative of discrimination. It is equally about looking to the future and how we can improve. It is for this reason that Allyship is so important. Not just token Allyship, but VISIBLE Allyship. This is incredibly valuable within the workplace, where LGBTQ+ people may not feel as empowered to speak up. Stephen Parkinson, Kingsley Napley’s former Senior Partner, often said that bringing your whole self to work allows you to be the best you can be at your job. Creating that comfortable environment, wherever that is, allows everyone to succeed.

A few short tips on how you can be an Ally, include:

• Learn and Unlearn - A good place to start is learning appropriate terms and educating yourself on the issues facing LGBTQ+ people. This also includes unlearning any possible anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. 
• Do not be afraid to ask questions - You may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed if you get something wrong, but you shouldn’t be. If you want to learn, then asking questions is needed. Always approach questions with good intentions and, in the long run, you will grow as a person and become more confident as an ally because of it.
• Speak up if you are witnessing direct or indirect LGBTQ+ discrimination, and make sure to check in with LGBTQ+ friends or colleagues afterwards, to make sure that they are okay.
• Talk and Advocate when LGBTQ+ people are not in the room - it is not enough to speak up only when LGBTQ+ people are there. It means twice as much to speak up when they are not.
• Get Involved with LGBTQ+ events, topics and media as this will help you embrace all of the above!

This is by no means a complete list, and various things can be done. Another way of framing it is ‘disruptive’ Allyship. Disruptive in that you challenge the status quo, question when no one else is questioning, and are a voice where queer voices are silent. Being a disruptive Ally creates the needed transformation and change for LGBTQ+ equality.

Conclusion

IDAHOBIT is here to remind us that the “power of solidarity, Allyship and community across identities, borders, and movements has never been more necessary.” It is an opportunity to spark conversation, and reflect. It is an opportunity to look inward and ask - how can I be a better Ally? It is an opportunity for us to move towards a better future, to a time where these conversations and reflections may not need to be had so often.