International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, & Biphobia
May 17th is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (also, any other type of hate against queer people, but the title is long enough).
Technically, every day should be a day against homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, and other forms of bigotry. However, it is crucial to recognize this day to raise awareness of the fight against LGBTQ+ hate in your home, community, nation, and world.
For LGBTQ+ folk, International Day Against Homophobia, Transph…you know what? For the sake of simplicity, I am going to use shorthand and refer to the general hate of all queer people as LGBTQphobia, and the day of May 17th as International Day Against LGBTQphobia. Sorry, let’s continue.
For LGBTQ+ folk, International Day Against LGBTQphobia is a day to consider how difficult our lives can be. Moreover, it is to acknowledge that our society could - and should - help solve the issue.
Although some may find this day unnecessary - “Isn’t this what Pride month is for?”
Not exactly. There are different days and months throughout the year designated for the history, awareness, or acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride month is the most prominent. It is a time for proud individuals to surround themselves with those who support and love them. It is an opportunity to not be afraid to show their true colors to the community. Although this is a fun part of LGBTQ+ culture, it’s exceedingly critical to recognize severe inequality and hatred in our world.
For allies of the community, this day is an opportunity to evaluate the thoughts and actions of yourself and the people you surround yourself with. Despite many advancements in LGBTQ+ equality, hate still runs rampant. When this hate is simply ignored or dismissed, it materializes into real-world legislation harming queer people. It’s essential to stay alert and make an effort to battle LGBTQphobia before it can manifest.
As an ally, it is your job to recognize instances of LGBTQphobia and make an effort to prevent or confront the people and systems perpetuating hate. If you are already calling yourself an ally, you most likely already succeed in this area. The next most important step is joining queer people’s side in the fight against LGBTQphobia worldwide.
Although many democratic countries have come significantly far in granting LGBTQ+ protections and equality, most nations worldwide lack the most basic rights for their queer citizens.
Regions in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East can be severely dangerous to LGBTQ+ citizens. Due to vacuums of power being repeatedly filled by religious and/or totalitarian leaders (no need to research what country is consistently responsible for causing those power vacuums, though…).
Meanwhile, regions like North America, South America, Australia, and Europe have been pushed towards LGBTQ+ equality. Nevertheless, they can revert when a fundamentalist fascist takes power. Thankfully, hope is never lost as citizens worldwide constantly fight for their rights. Many movements have been successful in places previously never thought possible. We should recognize that those accomplishments are sometimes overturned when another dictator takes over. Still, those movements once won. That means as long as the fight continues, we will win again.
Although society’s hatred is of prominent focus on this international day, what is most important for LGBTQ+ people is to spend the day in a positive mental space.
Surround yourself with people who love and support you. Spend some time alone, relaxed and grateful for the freedoms you do have, and be angry and motivated to bring an end to the rights and liberties being kept from you. Whether you spend the day reflecting, teaching others, or engaging in activism, just do you; and fight back against the people and society that hate you just for being yourself.
It’s essential to keep fighting every day, especially as terrible speech and legislation continue to spread, hurting LGBTQ+ people everywhere. We may not win all of our battles, but if we do not try, we are guaranteed to lose every single one.