17 May Today marks the 9th International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia
Reports from many events around the world are already coming in, and many more announcements are expected today, as activities unfold in over 100 countries across the world.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, has addressed participants of a high level intergovernmental conference organised by the Government of the Netherlands for the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia in The Hague on the evening of the 16th.
In his speech, the Secretary General underlined that “for generations, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in all regions have been subjected to terrible violence on account of their sexual orientation and gender identity”. He continued, “for far too long, their suffering was met with silence in the halls of power. As Secretary-General, I am committed to raising my voice.”
While underlining the need for legal reforms, Mr Ban Ki-moon also emphasized that “public education is also essential to challenge negative stereotypes and promote greater understanding.”
The address was read by delivered by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, in presence of HM the Queen of the Netherlands.
The IDAHO conference, which spans over two days, constitutes one of the Monarch’s very first public events and her participation was hailed by the organisers as a clear sign of the strength of her support in favour of Human Rights for all, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The IDAHO Committee, the organisation promoting the day worldwide, reminds that 1.5 billion people live in countries that criminalise same-sex relations. It is widely admitted that people who have a predominantly same-sex attraction represent around 3% of the population. This means that 46 million people, the size of the population of Spain, are de facto outlawed and their loves lives made impossible.
Events most recently reported today from around the world to mark the 9th International Day against
Homophobia and Transphobia include:
A whole day’s programming dedicated to IDAHO by MTV Brazil.
A demonstration in Saint Petersburg, despite the official ban of the event.
50,000 demonstrate for equal rights in Chile
The launch of an online campaign by Palestinian Lesbian groups.
Flashmob events in Hungary, Georgia, Estonia, Moldova, Algeria, and dozens of other countries.
For more information on events happening around the world :
http://www.dayagainsthomophobia.org
http://www.facebook.com/may17idaho
http://www.twitter.com/may17idaho