In Mauritius, local LGBTQI communities came together for a participatory art exhibition – “I Love Rainbows” – involving body painting and encouraging participants to freely express themselves, on May 17. Many also joined, together with allies, for the 9th Rainbow Parade at the start of June.

The legal situation for LGBTI communities is ambiguous in Mauritius, where colonial era sodomy laws do not specifically target LGBTI communities, and are rarely enforced. On the other hand, local activists have also highlighted that legal space may exist, in which to argue for legal recognition of same sex partnerships, within existing arrangements.

Local communities have for many years come together to commemorate key dates such as the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and once again, various groups participated in co-ordinating events for May 17 this year.

“I Love Rainbows” Art-Expo

In this initiative, held on Saturday May 17, participants were invited to couple up (as HLGBT couples), and cover parts of their bodies with paint. Paintings were produced with the act of ‘making out’ on a painting cloth.

The exposition of works of art was then held from the 17th till the 24th of May at the Caudan Waterfront.

Poster for the “I Love Rainbow” art expo in Mauritius for IDAHOT 2014.

A different poster for the Mauritius IDAHOT 2014 art project, by Steph Jorez.

You can find out more about the project in these two pdfs (here and here, in French).

“Exprime-toi” Rainbow Parade

Hundreds of LGBTI people, together with their friends and allies came together for the 9th Rainbow Parade, held under the theme “Express Yourself / Exprime-toi”. The event was held in the Plaza on the main road of Rose-Hill on June 7.

Television station ION covered the event in this News bulletin – which you can watch here:

One local activist sent the following report on the Parade:

“This year was marked with numerous organisations joining the Pride: Collectif Arc-en-Ciel, PILS, CUT, LEAD, Chrysalide; the presence of people from the U.S. Embassy and H.E. the U.S. Ambassador Shari Villarosa; and two newly formed organisations VISA-G (for trans people) and the Young Queer Alliance (for young LGBT and Queers).

The organisations grouped together, waving with pride their rainbow-coloured balloons, banners and flags, slogans, a float of vans and motor-cars, the sizzling music of mobilisation and celebration, party masks and boas, the exciting and daring show of trans-people in all their beauty… an unprecedented show from all Rainbow Parades before, a festive atmosphere in all six colours: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Violet of the Queer Rainbow having for theme: Express Your-self (Exprim twa)!

Participants of Young Queer Alliance group make rainbow bracelets out of ribbons, ready to share with people in the Parade.

With YQA presence as a youth organisation of LGBT, visibly, the massive influx of queers at this 9th Edition of the Rainbow Parade amassed the whole procession numerically and in terms of creativity and leadership. Novelties were: Pompom, hand printing themed: “La toile de la tolérance”, and predominantly the slogan: Zordi nu marsé, dimé nu voté (Today we march, tomorrow we vote), all summed-up to an explosive cocktail of celebrations, claims and renewal. M. M. Etienne of the Collectif Arc-en-Ciel rightly stated: “Maraine p vin vié, mé mo fier truv rélev prézan”.

The Queers to renew the Gay Rights with two stepping stones: a) Recognition of Gender and b) Protection from Hate Crimes due to Sexual Orientation and Gender; a dream coming reality in years to come..”

Actions for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014 took place across the country in more than ten towns and cities. Local authorities and community allies flew the rainbow flag up and down the country, roundtable discussion events were held, as well as film screenings, barbecues, art projects, installations and exhibitions, theatre performances and many more kinds of events. Just some of them are captured in this country report for IDAHOT 2014 in Australia.

Nationwide

World Love for IDAHOT 2014!

Participants of the group IDAHOT Sydney and Pride in Colours organised a major participatory art project & exhibition called out for contributions from people worldwide. Commemorating Freedom of Expression, the ‘World Love’ project invited people to send in the word for love in their own language, to form a short 3-minute video, shared online for the IDAHOT 2014.

The project was created to bring hope and create awareness that all LOVE is equal and beautiful. For more info you can contact Nick Baldas, creator of the project, at prideincolour@gmail.com.

The finished video is now available to watch here:

The Freedom Stories

A powerful new series of short films called The Freedom Stories was also launched in the week of IDAHOT 2014. Produced by ReachOut.com and LGBTI community health project ACON, the short films highlight the experiences of LGBTQI youth and aim to inspire and give hope.

Comedian Rhys Nicholson, who appears in one of the films, said “I remember being very disappointed to discover that after coming out, nothing really changed in my life. This thing that I had agonised and stressed over for so long was suddenly just a mundane fact. So this is a video about that… with swearing and innuendo. Everyone likes swearing and innuendo right?”

You can watch the films here:

To learn more about the project, visit ACON’s website.

Darebin

The Darebin Intercultural Centre hosted the event ‘Sexuality, Culture and Identity: exploring the connections’, on May 15, 2014. The event featured a screening of the short animation film In My Shoes, produced by the Centre for Multicultural Youth. Guest speaker Alyena Mohummadally also started a conversation around sexual and gender diversity in various communities. See the website for more details.

Melbourne

In Melbourne, communities came together for the IDAHOBIT 2014, in the form of a fundraiser event on May 16, in support of the (Re)framing Gender project. This initiative was created in March 2014 by YGLAM Queer Youth Theatre, with support from Ygender, to support young gender diverse and trans* communities, in and around the Darebin area, in meeting and discussing issues around gender diversity.

The event featured live music, poetry, puppetry, visual art, zine and art stalls and free food. Bitch Please, Trans Woman Distro and Possum Parcel had stalls, and featured performers included:

– YGLAM queer youth theatre group
– Tonié Field, ARIA-winning classical guitarist
– Geryon, lo-fi dream-pop and intricate loops
– Nicolette Forte, roots singer
– Fury, poet
– Ashley Ihasz (Crumbles), singer/songwriter
– Mick Roe, performer/writer
– Coral Ceto, aquatica/folk duo
– Sally Goldner, spoken word and stand-up comedian

The event took place at Northcote Town Hall, and the facebook event is here.

Yarraville, Melbourne

Hobson’s Bay City Council hosted a Premiere of the film
WESTANDPROUD as well as a flag raising ceremony, in commemoration of the IDAHOBIT 2014. The event was held at the Sun Theatre in the district of Yarraville, in the Melbourne area, on Monday May 19th.

Mayor Cr Sandra Wilson and keynote speaker and author Daniel Witthaus officially opened the event at 7.15pm.

The WESTANDPROUD project documents the lived-experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) individuals living in Melbourne’s Western Region and aims to expand understandings of local history, by incorporating the voices of GLBTIQ people, who have often been excluded from traditional narratives.

The lives and stories of eight individuals are documented through a series of short films by film maker Caitlin Byran, writer and producer of independent short film ‘The Outside Light’ which was selected to screen at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and the St Kilda Film Festival 2013, as well as a number of international film festivals.

In the morning of May 19, there will also be a IDAHOBIT flag raising ceremony where everyone can attend. This event began in 2004 and marks the IDAHOBIT as the international day for taking action for a prejudice-free world regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

Communities also came together for a flag raising ceremony, speeches and morning tea on Monday May 19th, at the Civic Parade, in the Altona district.

The organisers said that “Supporting and acknowledging IDAHOBIT is one step forward in strengthening human rights for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation, sex or gender identity. It symbolises our support for and commitment to reducing the barriers faced by GLBTIQ people in our communities.”

For more details see this page or the Hobsons Bay City Council website.

Shepparton

In Shepparton, a two-day celebration of IDAHOT 2014 took place, Friday May 16 – Saturday May 17.

The event featured: FREE BBQ 12 noon – 2pm each day; Live local performing artists; Art/Craft activities; Rainbow umbrellas & merchandise for sale; Community mosaicing project; Leave your messages of love & support on our pink make-shift wall; Flag-raising ceremony.

Daniel Witthaus from the National Institute for Challenging Homophobia Education (NICHE) also launched the ‘oi!’ to challenge rural homophobia campaign. The ‘oi!’ campaign aims to give people in rural communities simple strategies to challenge everyday homophobia and to start everyday conversations about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.

‘We can challenge rural homophobia one ‘oi!’ at a time,’ say the creators of the project, which is organised by the Diversity Project Greater Shepparton and supported by various organisations & businesses, including UnitingCare Cutting Edge, Greater Shepparton City Council, headspace, The Bridge Youth Services, Word and Mouth, Berry Street, Goulburn Valley Pride, Mooroopna Cares, No Bullying, and more.

Wyndham City

Wyndham City has proudly supported the Day over the past several years by raising the Rainbow flag and inviting the whole community to take a stand against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

The event was held on Friday May 16, 2014, at the Wyndham City Civic Centre, and launched
two exciting projects: Safe Schools Coalition Victoria (SSCV) launched the new SSCV project ‘Gender is not Uniform’ campaign, and Transgender Victoria and YGender also launched a trans and gender diverse youth project called ‘What makes an Ally?’.

For more details see the Wyndham City website.

Bunbury

In Bunbury, the True Colours peer support group launched a the project ‘Pledge for a Safe Community’. As a part of the IDAHOT 2014 commemorations, young people from the True Colours peer support group in Bunbury asked local government, civil society organisations and the wider community to sign a pledge of support against homophobia and transphobia. By signing a pledge of support, agencies and individuals commit to be actively involved in promoting a safer and more inclusive community for people experiencing diversity in sexuality and/or gender.

You can find out more about the Pledge on the South West Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia page.

Ballarat

The focus was on ‘Fair Go Sport’ in Ballarat, as Zaque and Ballarat Basketball teams worked together, with local LGBTI communities, to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014. Both the RUSH and MINER players wore rainbow coloured socks during their home game on May 17th to raise awareness. There were also guest speakers at the game, and announcements made throughout the evening, as well as stalls with rainbow pins, stickers and umbrellas to buy. The event took place at MINERDOME Sports Club, Wendouree, Ballarat, Victoria, on May 17, 2014.

Across Ireland, LGBTI and other civil, political and faith groups organised a variety of events in at least five different cities in celebration of the IDAHOT 2014. Actions included religious services, online panel discussions, music events and a campaign to stop homophobic and transphobic bullying in the workplace.

The Stand Up at Work Campaign

Together with ICTU, BeLonG To Youth Service launched a campaign against homophobic and transphobic bullying in the workplace. The Stand Up at Work project encouraged people to Stand Up! Against Homophobic and Transphobic Bullying, as part of BeLonG To’s annual awareness campaign in schools, amongst youth services, and – now – in workplace settings. BeLonG To and ICTU produced a video and developed print materials which were launched on Friday 16 May in Dublin, to coincide with International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Local activists highlighted that non-discrimination is a fundamental right at work as defined by the International Labour Organisation. Equal treatment is reflected in Irish Law by the Employment Equality Act 1998 – 2012, which outlaws discrimination on nine distinct grounds, including sexual orientation. Despite this, the experience of both BeLonG To and ICTU indicate that LGBT young adults can face significant discrimination in the Irish workplace.

Speaking at the launch, Michael Barron, Founding Director of BeLonG To, said:

Irish research has established that there is a serious problem with homophobia and transphobia in schools, leading to a devastating impact on the mental health of LGBT young people. LGBT young people have told BeLonG To that they face similar issues at work. These range from feeling silenced and excluded as staff in religiously maintained schools and hospitals as a result of Section 37.1, to losing jobs because of prejudice, to harassment and bullying at work. We are delighted to work with ICTU to bring the Stand Up! Don’t Stand for Homophobia or Transphobia campaign, which we have been running in schools for many years, into the workplace for the first time. In doing this we aim to empower even more young people to take a stand against homophobia and to make Ireland a safer and more equal place for all.

You can watch a video of the event here:

Panti Bliss video sends a Global IDAHOT message

BeLonG To also put together a video message with Panti Bliss, the famous drag artist, performer and activist from Ireland who reached thousands of people internationally with her successful anti-Homophobia speech of February 1, 2014. The video was released 9 days before the IDAHOT and highlights the importance of the day as well as the fight for LGBTQI rights in general.

You can find the video here.

Religious IDAHOT Services

Changing Attitude Ireland (C.A.I.), a Church of Ireland organisation with ecumenical friends arranged services in commemoration of IDAHOT in several cities in Ireland and Northern Ireland, including Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford.

IDAHOT Service in Cork, 2014. Source: C.A.I.

Changing Attitude Ireland (C.A.I.) is a Church of Ireland organisation with ecumenical friends, heterosexual and gay, lay and ordained, working for the full affirmation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons within the Churches in Ireland. C.A.I. is dedicated to celebrating and maintaining the traditional inclusivity and diversity of the Anglican Communion.

Online IDAHOT Forum

Front Line Defenders, together with the Irish LGBTI organization Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), hosted a live Web Forum with leading LGBTI rights defenders from India, Russia, Uganda and Peru on Friday 16 May. The forum discussed recent legislative efforts to restrict LGBTI rights in those countries and explore the risks that human rights defenders (HRDs) face in their work to combat homophobia.

The panel featured:

• Clare Byarugaba, Coordinator of the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law in Kampala, Uganda, and a 2012 recipient of a US Department of State Human Rights Defender Award.
• Sonal Giani, Advocacy Manager at the Humsafar Trust in Mumbai, India, who works on the ground dealing with crisis situations facing the LGBTI community.
• Jorge Alberto Chávez Reyes, President of MHOL, Movimento Homosexual de Lima, Peru, the oldest LGBTI organisation in South America.
• Manny de Guerre, Founder of the Side by Side Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival, based in St. Petersburg, Russia, which has come under attack since it started in 2008.

You can watch a video of the IDAHOT Forum here.

Freedom of Expression event in Dublin

The LGBTQ Network of the trade union SIPTU, marked the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia with a Freedom of Expression focused event which took place on May 16 at the Liberty Hall Theatre in Dublin. The event was focused on making noise against Homophobia and Transphobia and celebrating IDAHOT. It included guest speakers from INTO LGBT Teachers’ Group (on #Section37), and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (on equality in the workplace), as well as music from various artists, slam-poetry from Julie Goo, comedy from Breda Larkin and a *One Minute Noise Memoriam*.

Freedom of Expression event in Dublin. Source: SIPTU LGBTQ Network

IDAHOT 2014 in Galway

Joining Amnesty International Galway and Amach LGBT in celebrating IDAHO, G-Bar in Galway hosted an evening of music by Lunatic Spoons, Grounds for Invasion, Steven Sharpe and Tara Stacey, as well as a fundraising raffle for the Amach LGBT Resource Centre Project in Galway. Before the event, the local Amnesty group and Amach LGBT held a bake sale in commemoration of IDAHOT.

IDAHOT Event at G-Bar, Galway. Source: Amnesty International Galway

IDAHOT 2014 in Galway Ireland.

Activists from Amnesty join local LGBTI groups in Galway Ireland for May 17 2014.

This year’s IDAHOT was marked by a big wave of mobilisation in the South Pacific island of Fiji – where all events keyed into the 2014 focus on Freedom of Expression. FEMLink Pacific, a grass roots women’s radio station had a day of broadcasts around the day, featuring the participation of 30 rural women’s leaders, amongst many other highlights. Haus of Khameleon, Emerging Leaders Forum Alumni and Drodrolagi Movement organized a “Family Fun Day OUT!”.

FemLINK Events

The IDAHOT inspired events were built around FemTALK 89FM’s “Rainbow Connections” radio programmes, which were launched in February 2014 and are produced and hosted by SOGI activists including The Haus of Khameleon, Oceania Pride and Rainbow Women’s Network. 28 participants including rural women leaders, members from Oceania Pride, Haus of Khameleon and the Rainbow Women’s Network came together through FemLINKPACIFIC’s rural community media network and affirmed that regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity and religion, everyone’s development priorities are the same.

The theme for their community radio 10th anniversary campaign was “Communicating Peace, Development, Diversity, Security and Freedom” which connected with the IDAHOT 2014 focus on Freedom of Expression.

The programmes covered issues ranging from Gender Equality in Disaster Risk Management and Responses, Economic security and equality in decision making, access to services, and disability rights. A youth speak out session also discussed current youth priorities, including mental health and well being.

In Fiji, IDAHOT 2014 was merged with the 10th anniversary celebrations of FemLINK – a grass roots feminist community media project.

Family Fun Day Out

Haus of Khameleon, Emerging Leaders Forum Alumni and Drodrolagi Movement held a “Family Fun Day OUT!” to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014. The call for the event said “The daily struggle that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) communities encounter in our endeavours for Equality, Diginity and Humanity would not be as substantial to the movement if it weren’t for the firm and unwavering support of our loved ones – families (chosen and biological), partners and friends.”

The Family Fun Day OUT involved activities for children, games, music, creative expressions and a candle light vigil followed by an after party.

From the Source: One of the many photos from today as we mark a belated International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia at the My Suva Park. Vinaka shukriya and thank you to all those who brought their friends and families along and made today so special and memorable! More photos coming later. ‪#‎IDAHOT‬ ‪#‎Fiji‬

In a write up of the event in The Fiji Times, organiser Kris Prasad said: “This is a belated celebration. We were supposed to have the fun day on May 17, on the actual International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia but couldn’t because of bad weather… This day really is to bring everyone together. Our previous events to mark May 17 were always on the serious side. We wanted to have a family fun day so we can enjoy fun activities with our friends and family, and especially the children.”

Media Coverage

• The Fiji Times: LGBT Community Hosts Fun Day

In the Netherlands, a new website for LGBT Youth activities was launched on IDAHOT 2014, and the Oranje Kerk in Amsterdam also organised a IDAHOT vigil to remember the victims of Anti-LGBT violence.

New Platform for LGBT Youth

The groups COC Netherlands, Movisie and NJR launched a new website for May 17, 2014, which is targeted towards LGBT youth. The website provides information about activities aimed at young LGBTI people in local areas. The website provides a good platform for people to know what is going on in their own region, but also to get connected and overcome feelings of loneliness and isolation. The website was launched on May 17 in commemoration of IDAHOT and was realised with the support of the Ministry of Education. The new website is: www.nietalleenanders.nl

IDAHOT Vigil in Amsterdam

The first IDAHOT-vigil, as part of the Global Interfaith Prayer Initiative in the Netherlands, was held in Amsterdam. The event included an hour of commemoration (prayer, silent reflection, song and testimony), and was aimed at giving hope to communities which have suffered the effects of hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The vigil was organised by the protestant Church, Oranje Kerk (Orange Church), and LKP, the national coordinating organisation of the Christian LGBT movement in the Netherlands. Testimonies were held by Narayan Fil, Moses Walusimbi and Jos van der Bijl. Revs Jantine Heuvelink (Orange Church) and Wielie Elhorst (on behalf of LKP) led the ceremony. Money was also collected for Pride Fonds (Pride Fund) of Amnesty International, and for COC Netherlands, the Dutch LGBT organisation.

Organisers advised: “The message of the vigil was that there is room for everybody under the skies of heaven, without distinction and to spread the living hope that someday every single person will be fully included and can fully participate in church and in society.”

For more information about the Oranje Kerk in Amsterdam please visit their website or go to their Facebook page.

Source: Oranje Kerk Amsterdam

Source: Oranje Kerk Amsterdam

Source: Oranje Kerk Amsterdam

Source: Oranje Kerk Amsterdam

In Hungary, the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organisation, IGLYO, organised an IDAHOT seminar in Budapest, together with partners. The organisation Háttér organised a seminar focused on human rights and the legal status of LGBTQI people. In Szeged, the organisation Colorful Circles also organised a seminar which aimed to sensibilise mainly people working in the educational sector to LGBTI related issues. In Budapest, the organisation Transvanilla also organised a one minute of noise against Homophobia and Transphobia, amongst other events in the country.

Transvanilla Shout Against Hate

Rather than holding one minute silence, activists making part of the trans* rights group Transvanilla decided to organise a One Minute’s Noise/Shout Against Hate for IDAHOT 2014. The action took place at the 5th European Transgender Council in Budapest on 3rd May 2014.

The organisers took a video of the action to make their noises and voices heard worldwide, which you can see here:

LGBTI Young People from across Europe join for Budapest Conference

The IDAHOT seminar “Young People’s responses to Homophobic and Transphobic Hate Speech” was hosted at European Youth Center in Budapest. In the framework of the No Hate Speech Movement, this seminar took place from the 15th to the 17th and was organised by  IGLYO  in cooperation with the Council of Europe Equality Division (SOGI Unit) and the European Youth Center Budapest. In order for everyone around the world to follow the seminar, organisers live streamed the event. The seminar aimed to identify and discuss Hate Speech against LGBTI people, and to develop strategies to tackle it. As the organisers explained prior to the event:

‘During the seminar and in the movement there will be prepared some actions to be implemented by activists all over Europe. The aim of the seminar is, amongst others, to get people and organisations not used to work with LGBTQI issues to take the next step towards human rights for all… The topic of IDAHOT “Freedom of Expression” is very relevant when talking about Hate Speech. It’s a question of how you use your freedom of expression. Do you use it to promote human rights and social cohesion or to spread hate and dehumanise LGBTQI?’

On May 17, the activists at the European Youth Centre in Budapest had launched an online action hour against Homophobic and Transphobic Hate speech. The action hour was live from the IGLYO and Council of Europe’s seminar “Young People’s responses to Homophobic and Transphobic Hate Speech” and invited everyone to use their Right to Freedom of Expression and to speak up for Human Rights for all. The main message of the online action was that Homophobic and Transphobic Hate Speech is a direct threat to freedom of expression and the human right to freedom of speech for everyone.

Love is a Human Right !

Also on May 17 there was also the action SZABAD A CSÓK! which included a party, photo exhibition with the title ‘Love is a Human Right’. Additionally, the organiser Háttér had also hosted a seminar about the situation of LGBTQI people in Hungary and Human Rights. The issue of right-wing forces pushing against LGBTI equality and the legal status of LGBTQI communities formed a major part of the discussions. There was also a report presented which highlighted two major problem areas; also highlighted as part of a seminar. One concerned the educational system in relation to sexual and gender minorities, and the other, the uncertain legal status of same-sex couples raising children. The seminar took place on May 16 at the Central European University in Budapest.

Katalin Szajbély . Source: Háttér

Colourful Circles Training Event

Colourful Circles hosted a training which had the aim was to make participants more open to the situation of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) minorities, particularly concerning education and school situations. The key issues were human rights, freedom, justice, equality, human dignity, democracy, rights, interdependence, solidarity, stereotype, prejudice, minority and majority identity, homophobia, coming out, hetero-sexism, and LGBT themes in general. The event took place on May 17 in Szeged and was mainly aimed at teachers.

Colourful Circles Event Poster

In Thailand actions for IDAHOT 2014 took place in various cities, involving all kinds of different stakeholders – from UN agencies to schools and young people to trans* and gender non-conforming communities, to artists and community activists. Topics highlighted by local groups included bullying in schools, transphobia, and freedom of expression.

School Rainbow Campaign

As part of a wider effort to wipe out LGBT bullying in schools, a broad coalition of groups – UNAIDS Asia Pacific, UNESCO Asia Pacific, APCOM, Youth Voices Count and Youth Lead – joined forces to organise the ‘School Rainbow’ campaign. The campaign encourages communities to come together to make chalk drawings of rainbows in city spaces, therefore symbolising the importance of diversity, public space use, and messages of inclusivity. The collective art works were mainly produced around school gates and other settings where young people are likely to come together.

Planned, coordinated and executed in partnerships with students, schools, and local communities, the campaign also brought ‘the rainbows into the classroom’ with the support of lessons on sexual diversity, acceptance and the right to education. The chalking rainbows action started on May 12 and went on throughout the week around IDAHOT 2014 in at least 4 schools and universities in Bangkok. To learn more about the School Rainbow campaign, you can see the campaign’s website.

Rainbow chalking at New International School Thailand | Photo by UNAIDS/H. Nhan

Study, event and infographic on LGBTI bullying in Thailand

In addition to the School Rainbow event, UNESCO Asia Pacific also commemorated the Day by releasing the first ever systematic study (and infographic) which documents bullying on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools in Thailand. The study formed part of a joint effort of the agency, together with Plan International Thailand and Mahidol University. The study was released as part of another IDAHOT event, “Bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people in Thailand: Risks and Realities,” at Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park), 14 May, 5.30pm-8pm.  Organized by UNESCO Asia Pacific, UNAIDS Asia Pacific and the Embassies of the United States and the Netherlands in Thailand, the event also included a film screening and panel discussion showcasing experiences and perspectives on the realities and risks of discrimination and bullying against LGBTI young people.

Power Rainbow Workshop for Young People

Still on the theme of anti-bullying, Anjaree Foundation held a ‘Power Rainbow Workshop’ for young people (high school and college students) on May 17 at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre. The workshop provided a forum for LGBTI students to exchange stories of their school life as well as for educators and students to discuss how to reduce bullying, violence and discriminatory practices within school environments in particular, as well as within Thai society in general.

The Panelists of Power Rainbow workshop

Thai Transgender Alliance Actions

The day before May 17, trans* communities and their allies came together to focus on issues of both transgender rights and freedom of expression, as part of an IDAHOT event organized by Thai Transgender Alliance (Thai TGA). Held in Bangkok Art and Cultural Center from noon to 6.30 PM, a “Where Everyone Can Express Themselves” workshop aimed to shed light on the freedom and rights of Thai transgender individuals in accessing state public services, private sector services and employment.

Participants of the “Where Everyone Can Express Themselves” Workshop

IDAHOT Bangkok Actions

The city of Bangkok also has its own IDAHOT Working group, which is made up of individual LGBTIQ activists, and supported by Rainbow Sky Association Thailand volunteers, Anjaree Foundation, Galaya Club, People’s Empowerment Foundation, and some HIV-focused organisations such as SWING and The Poz.

The working group  conducted an IDAHOT campaign this year which was also focused on the concept of freedom of expression. Comprising a smart, cost-free social media advocacy campaign, which plays on the freedom of expression concept, the working group launched the campaign: “IDAHOT Selfies; This is me! This is us!”. The campaign invited LGBTIQ communities and allies to take selfies and post them with the #SiamIDAHOT hashtag on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. These selfies were collected into one post-campaign image to create a visual tapestry/representation of LGBTIQ identities in Thailand.

The working group also conducted candlelight vigil ceremony on the evening of May 17 to close the IDAHOT celebration in Thailand together with the above organizers.

The Bangkok IDAHOT 2014 Candlelight Vigil

In New Zealand, events to commemorate the IDAHOT 2014 took place in six different locations, and included an art project and series of nationwide picnics.

Kia ora! Big Gay Picnics

Across New Zealand, communities came together for picnic events across the country which were organised to celebrate love, equality and acceptance, around the IDAHOT 2014. Everyone was invited to bring a rug and some food, and spend a great time with some great people.

‘The Big Gay Picnic’ took place in five different locations, including Dunedin, Rotorua, Hamilton, Auckland and Wellington.

Poster for New Zealand’s Big Gay Picnic for IDAHOT 2014 – held in five cities

I stand with you poster exhibition

A poster exhibition was also organised and took place in Otara, South Auckland, New Zealand from May 12-17 2014. ‘I stand with you’ is a collaborative project between final year Visual Arts majors, Tara Simon and Luisa Tora of the Faculty of Creative Arts at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT).

Timed to coincide with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, the project and its contributing artists and partners stood in solidarity with MIT’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex students and staff, and their broader communities.

I Stand With You, South Auckland. Source: Out at MIT

The participating artists were Sharon Fitness, Tanu Gago, Rebecca Ann Hobbs and Thomas Fonua, Leilani Kake, Nicole Lim, Steve Lovett, Jo Mears, Richard Orjis, Molly Rangiwai-McHale, Sangeeta Singh, Luisa Tora, Pati Solomona Tyrell, and Kerrie-Anne Van Heerden and they were asked to respond to the IDAHOT 2014 theme ‘Freedom of Expression’.

The art work is in the form of posters, and many of the works explicitly blend political activism together with artistic creativity. I Stand With You was created to help foster a safe and nurturing environment for LGBTQI students and staff at the Faculty of Creative Arts and greater MIT.

I Stand With You Poster. Source: Out at MIT

The posters were installed at MIT’s Faculty of Creative Arts and at Fresh Gallery Otara in South Auckland. The events also included talks by the artists and LGBTQI youth service providers. For more details check out the project’s blog. More information about the Out at MIT LGBTQI students at Manukau Institute of Technology can also be found here.

This video was also created to give an introduction to the project:

In Israel, LGBTI organisations and allies came together for two events in Jerusalem, as well as two events in Tel Aviv and a radio interview to mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014, amongst other highlights.

Jerusalem

Coordinated by Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance, there were two events planned prior to May 17 in commemoration of IDAHOT that were linked to the topic of freedom of speech. One was “Pride Shabbes” which took place on the 5-6th of May and is a joint pride event with a local Jewish congregation. The second was a LGBTQ week that has been organised at the Hebrew University on 14-15th of May.

The Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance (JOH) is an LGBTQ organisation based in Jerusalem. They provide direct services to LGBTQ people in the community and the area. For more details about the organisation, please visit their website.

Tel Aviv: Knowledge is Power!

Once again, for IDAHOT 2014, LGBTI communities and allies came together in Tel Aviv for the award of the prize of Outstanding academic or research paper on LGBTI-phobia. This event was supported by long standing organisers of IDAHOT events in Israel, Havana.

The programme also included discussions and panels on masculinity, health resources, working with high school students, as well as presentations on gender fluidity and trans communities. You can find the academic papers on the Havana website.

The event took place on May 15 at the School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University.

Knowledge Is Power, Tel Aviv. Source: Havana

The full programme was as follows:

15:30 / Registration
16:00 / Prof. Bilha Davidson-Arad – Head of the School of Social Work
Yadin Sapir – One of the organizers of the International Day Against LGBT-phobia in Israel
Yali Ben-Ami Vitenberg, Hoshen CEO
Dr. Gill Fishof- Coordinator of the Aguda’s Nir Katz Center Against LGBT-phobia
16:15 – 17:10 / Opening Lectures
Dr. Amit Kama – Outline of the LGBT Research Field in Israel
Uri Eick – Changing Attitudes of High School Students in Israel towards Homosexuality

Knowledge Is Power, Tel Aviv. Source: Havana

The LGBT Club of Tel Aviv University invited the Seminar participants to a social continuation at the pub ‘Rosh Pina” in Brodetzki Center, Ramat Aviv.

Youth movements rally to mark IDAHOT – International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in Israel

The event took place on Thursday, May 22, 2014, and was hosted by Youth Movements in Israel – IGY (the Israel Gay Youth), The Scout Movement, Hamahanot Haolim, The Youth Guard, and The Federation of Working and Studying Youth. It included a dialogue between youth organizations and movements and the main ceremony of the Gay Youth Council. Professor Yuli Tamir, former Education Minister and current president of Shenkar College, attended the event, as well.

Tel Aviv University promo videos:

Radio Interview

Additionally, May 16 in Israel also saw a radio interview, in English with Yali Kelrich (one of leading co-organizers of Havana this year), about the battle against discrimination towards LGBTI communities.

The interview was on TLV1 station, which is an English-language internet radio broadcasting from Tel Aviv. Founded in 2013, TLV1 seeks to provide listeners with a fresh and novel perspective on the daily agenda in Israel and its neighbors, and keeps its finger on the beating pulse of Tel Aviv. The interview was part of the show “Where cultures meet – Weekend Edition”.

You can find the interview here at 104 minutes in.

Sexual Rights Alliance (SRA), a group of Vietnamese NGOs, conducted an IDAHOT event in Ha Noi on May 15 with “Free Expression” as the key theme of the action and LGBT youth groups conducted an event in support of the Campaign Tôi Đồng Ý 16+. Additionally, PFLAG Vietnam sent out a message of respect and love on IDAHOT.

In partnership with United Nations Vietnam, the purpose of the event was to urge the Vietnamese government to take more action to protect Vietnamese LGBTI communities but also to celebrate progress in reducing stigmatisation and discrimination.

To underline the message of the event, participants from the National Youth Theater took to the stage to express how stigma and discrimination affect young LGBTI Vietnamese people.

IDAHOT 2014 in Hanoi, Vietnam. May 15, 2014.

The event included an opening speech by UN representative and SRA representative, a video clip about how Vietnam has changed in protecting LGBT rights, contemporary dance on IDAHOT 2014 theme: Free Expression and drinks & finger food and free hang-out afterwards.

On the occasion of IDAHOT, the LGBT Nha Trang community also hosted a public event as part of the Campaign Tôi Đồng Ý 16+ (I Agree 16+). More than 30 young people attended the event that promoted the petition for equal rights for LGBT. It aims to

1. adjust the law on marriage and family & (modified) of which referred to article 16, the provisions on the settlement of the legal consequence arising out of the Union between two people of the same gender (femalespersonal, property, etc.)
2. adjust the law Registrar, including on the issue of change/adjust your registrar information as a citizen. This is especially meaningful to the transgender community in changing their identity in legal documents.
3. law of citizen identification. Along with the law Registrar, adjusting the personal information of each citizen according to their identity is important to the community.

Pictures were taken as part of the campaign that were published on social media. Find out more about the campaign here.

Source: LGBT Nha Trang

PFLAG Vietnam, the organisation for parents, friends & families of LGBT people, has sent a special message of solidarity as part of the celebration of IDAHOT to their children and the entire society. The called out to other parents to take their children’s side and to stand by them when they face discrimination, violence and prejudice. And they addressed Vietnamese society to not tolerate these prejudices and discriminations.

IDAHOT message by PFLAG Vietnam