The theme adopted for the national IDAHOT 2018 celebration was: “Togetherness for Inclusion.” Some of the LGBTI persons also had the opportunity to share personal experiences and stories about discrimination and stigmatization, and how these have adversely affected their personal lives.

Interviews were held with a selection of actors who comprised of human rights activists, religious leaders, journalists, and LGBTI persons, soliciting their personal opinions on the significance of IDAHOTB 2018 celebrations in Liberia.

Unfortunately, this media coverage sparked negative reactions that led to the relocation of the May 17 Conference.

However, the official national event for IDAHOTB 2018 was held with a stakeholder engagement, which brought together religious leaders both from the Christian and Muslim communities, media practitioners, health care workers and service providers, human rights defenders and activists, partners including heads of LGBTI organizations and LGBTI individuals.

Announcement before IDAHOT, update will come soon:

This year Members of the LGBTI community in Liberia are celebrating IDAHOT with the powerful title ‘Hear My Heart; Free My Soul’.

Hear my Heart; Free my soul is an initiative instituted by creative members of the LGBTI communities in Liberia and the Diaspora to create a safe environment where members of the LGBTI community, especially young LGBTI individuals, can share their stories and be confident of self freedom. Performing arts and creativity will be tools to enable a deeper expression of thoughts and feelings. The event will take place on May 17th. Additionally, there will also be the screening of the movie “A Prayer for Bobby” which will set the stimulate a discussion discourse.

The organisers also are planning to document all the stories in a book which then can be used as a advocacy and awareness raising tool within society.

The Program Officer at ‘Stop AIDS in Liberia’ states:

“All over the world LGBTI people are faced with difficult circumstances which leads to many persons not understanding what or who they are and this situation usually evolves to lost identity abd self denial simply because society has constructed or labelled persons with SOGI. In Liberia the situation of LGBTI persons is even more complex considering the legal implications which make same-sex practices a criminal offense under the laws, social cultural myths and beliefs base on religion, political aggrandisement or just base on assume perception”.  

Mr. Stephen K. McGill, Executive Director of Stop AIDS in Liberia (SAIL) will make a summary presentation on how the Ebola Outbreak increase homophobia and affect members of the LGBTI community in Liberia.   There will also be remarks from partners and friends.

For the first time ever, communities in Liberia commemorated the IDAHOT with a Freedom Festival under the theme ‘Freedom of Expression’ which included a whole series of activities such as speeches, creative sessions, a fashion show and poetry competition.

On Saturday May 17, 2014, Stop AIDS in Liberia (SAIL) with support from ACTION AID Liberia, under the EPR project, held a Freedom Festival as an event marking the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia under the theme of Freedom Of Expression. The occasion brought together 50 participants, including members of the LGBT community and its partners. The action had three major objectives:

-To create an enabling environment where members of the LGBT community can express who they are (from a creative approach using Songs, poetry, drawing, dress code, fashion, games and a final plenary session).
-To give members of the LGBT community the opportunity to share their stories how homophobic sentiments can have an adverse effect.
-To the present the film “Call Me Kuchu” which served as a basis for a interactive discussion among LGBT members themselves.

In a welcoming statement Mr. Stephen K. McGill, Executive Director of Stop AIDS in Liberia, told a gathering of LGBT members and allies that it was significant in that activities can be held to increase awareness on the effects that homophobic sentiments can have on LGBT people. He further noted the fundamental rights to which all are entitled must be claimed and adhered to without any violation.

Communities in Liberia commemorate IDAHOT for the first time ever – May 17, 2014.

In a statement about the background of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, he highlighted that in 2009 a global agenda was created to put an end to the many violations and abuses LGBT people were encountering on a daily basis. He said homophobic situations have caused people to lose their lives, family and freedom to express themselves without any form of discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Luckmore Jalisi who is the youth advisor at ACTION AID Liberia concluded by saying the current wave of new Anti-Gay Laws across Africa must stop and that national governments must protect every citizen regardless of who they are or how they identify.

An interactive session was also held among participant attending the program. The purpose of the group exercise was to give participants a chance to express their creativity, by spelling the word Freedom of Expression on flash cards using the rainbow colours, and also to participate in photo shots, with anti-homophobic messages, created by members of the LGBT community.

The day culminated with a fashion festival where people in the LGBT community came together to parade a runway in different styles. A poetry competition was also held. Prizes were presented by Weng and Maryelea of ACTION AID Liberia for the fashion and poetry session respectively.

The freedom festival ended with a photo shoot and opportunity to socialise.