On May 16 at 12 noon. the Conference “Advisory Opinion Oc-24/12 of the CoIDH” will be held within the framework of the Day.

Next May 17 at 6pm. The Front for Equal Rights is organizing a night of artistic expression by LGBTI + artists of various disciplines, in commemoration Day. There will be live painting, poetry and music.

The organization Síwo Alâr Hombres Trans CR will also carry out a Planton for Dignity and the Right to Identity at 1:00 p.m. in the Supreme Court of Elections of San José in claim to recognition of gender identity by the Costa Rican State.

In Costa Rica, the “Front for Equal Rights” inaugurates the exhibition “We Shall Kiss”, tracing the history of Costa Rica’s LGBT movement. More details on the FB page

The Diversity Commission of the Lawyer’s Union, the Front for Equal Rights and the UN agencies in the country organise a round table on the 17^th.

Puntarenas will see its first ever public march for LGBT rights, organised by the organisation Diversidad  de Género del Progreso de Puntarenas.

Arts will also be on the program, with the Spontaneous Theater Chancha Negra performing life on the 17^th in the municipality of Desamparados.

And the Commission for non-discrimination against LGBT people will hold a conference under the theme “Diversity for growth”

CIPAC, the Ministry of Education MEP, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Costa Rica, and the Union of Workers of the Costa Rican Education (SEC), presented a  campaign to educate without discrimination in schools across the country. It consisted of seven video spots where different authorities called to stop discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity at different schools in the country.

To see the full report please visit our Spanish Page.

As part of the event games will be held in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to promote IDAHOT 2015. As well as raising awareness for the day, organisers hope that the events will help combat stereotypes about LGBTI people held in these countries.

As well as these events Didesex will hope to further combat stereotypes by sharing profiles of individuals involved through their social media in the week following May 17th. Messages and images will also be shared (in Spanish) using the hashtag #deportevshomofobia.

For more information on the games, and how you can get involved please visit the Gay Games official website, as well as the Facebook page for Didesex.

Costa Rica was witness to a historic recognition of LGBT rights by its national government when, on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014, for the first time in history, the rainbow flag was raised by the President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solís, outside of the Presidental House. The raising was met with proclamations of May 17, in Costa Rica, as the “National Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Lesbophobia”.

The President of Costa Rica raises the rainbow flag outside the Presidential House, for IDAHOT 2014.

During the activity, in the main garden of the Presidential House, the President, Luis Guillermo Solís, called on the Costa Rican people to respect the rights of LGBT people, and affirmed that his government will work against all types of discrimination: “We will fight very hard against all forms of discrimination, tirelessly seek a more inclusive and respectful society. That is the commitment of our government.”

In the run up to May 17, 2014, the president called on public institutions, to raise the rainbow flag on their buildings. Many welcomed the request, including: the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the Costa Rican Institute of Fishing and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA), the Mixed Institute for Social Aid (IMAS), the Supreme Electoral Tribunal , the National Institute for Women (INAMU), the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), the Ministry of Interior and Police, the Ministry of Justice and Peace, the Ministry of Health and all public universities.

Additionally the Municipal authorities of Goicoechea hosted an event at Centennial Park. The event was held on Saturday, May 17 and brought together LGBTI communities, their friends and allies, and featured various guest speakers and artistic performances.

You can watch a video of the commemorations here:

One great progress that have been made ​​recently, is the inclusion of the National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in the official school calendar of the Ministry of Public Education, which covers 90% of the national population, this means that schools should organize “various activities in the classroom or in the school to commemorate May 17th.” They are also coordinating with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to be the official presentation. Public universities and all schools  had been declared discrimination free  based on sexual orientation and gender identity and will participate in a vigil at the Costa Rican Constitutional Court.

In the coming days they will define the agenda including dates and places of events.

CIPAC is a non-governmental organization, with gender vision, humanist – professional and leading organization- whose purpose is to eliminate social inequalities related to sexual orientations and gender identities, through the inclusion of youth, research, audit society, popular education and the promotion of human rights and health.

In the following video you can see the journalist interview about the decree declaring May 17 as National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in the school calendar.

Report also available in Spanish.

Activists hold a vigil outside the headquarters of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Costa Rica

The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica passed a motion declaring the Legislature to be an institution that promoted human rights, free from homophobia, transphobia and lesbophobia and all forms of discrimination, marginalization or exclusion on the ground of sexual orientation. The motion was approved as part of the commemoration of the National Day Against Homophobia (this being the denomination under which the Government of Costa Rica has recognized May 17 as an official national date). The initiative urges Congress to promote and support action against homophobia and to create a working environment of respect, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Other events held in Costa Rica include a forum on sexual orientation and gender identity, a forum on diverse populations, and a fair.