The 17.5.is a special day for the global LGBTIQ* community every year. As it marks the international day against homophobia, bi-, inter- and transphobia. Such a day is important because there is still prejudice and hostility against people who define themselves as homosexual, bisexual, intersex or transgender in too many places and in too many churches.
International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia – IDAHOBIT as a day for the rights of the LGBTIQ* community
A first step towards the IDAHOBIT took place on 17 May 1990. When the General Assembly of the World Health Organisation (WHO) decided to no longer classify homosexuality as a disease. Finally, on 17 May 2005, the first International Day against Homophobia (IDAHO) took place.
For the community in Germany, this date has special relevance for another reason. Namely the similarity between “Gay Paragraph” 175, which was only completely abolished in 1994, and the date of 17 May. In 2009, the “IDAHO” became the “IDAHOT“, i.e. the Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. Biphobia was included in 2015, and interphobia in 2016. So today the abbreviation is consistently “IDAHOBIT“ and stands for “International Day Against Homo-Bi, Inter and Transphobia”.
The problem with the meaning of words
The terms’ homophobia, bi-phobia, inter-phobia and transphobia used for the IDAHOBIT are not without problems, because they are used wrongly. Homophobia was coined by the psychologist George Weinberg in the late 1960s. At that time, homophobia was used to describe the fear of heterosexual men of being seen as gay in the eyes of others.
Originally, phobia meant the fear of something; arachnophobia, for example, meant the fear of spiders. Over time, the meaning of the word homophobia has shifted (which happens with many words). Today, when people talk about “homophobic”, they mean people who behave in a hateful or discriminatory way towards LGBTQA+ people. The word homophobia is basically a mental shortcut. This can be seen, among other things, in the fact that today, for example, the term racism is used to describe the thinking and behaviour of people that was previously described by the term negrophobia.
It is important to have a label for hostile thinking and behaviour. But the use of homo-, bi-, inter- and transphobia is misleading. It means treating an entire group of people with hatred, even though their identity cannot be justified. In fact, when talking about “homophobia” it would be better to use the term homohostility, because that is exactly what it is about. Of course, this also applies to the terms trans-, inter- and biphobia.
Homo-, bi-, trans- and interphobia “product” of social constraints
The reasons why someone might be “afraid” of LGBTIQ* people are not innate or scientifically explicable, but the result of social conditioning. Here one can take religions, for example Christianity, as an example. In Christian doctrine, all sex other than heterosexual sex within marriage is considered sexual.
Another example is fairy tales that are read to children or Disney films that they are allowed to watch as small children. It is always about prince and princess, about man and woman. Never about woman and woman or man and man, or other identities and sexualities, such relationships have not been thematised (at least until now).
The times of lack of acceptance are far from over. Just recently, the US state of Florida decided to remove all teaching on LGBTIQ* issues from school books at all levels. It is hard to imagine such a move in 2023. But rejection of people who live and love differently is still a reality and the consequences are devastating.
The virtual absence of open and comprehensive sex education in schools and many families in some countries will continue to lead to a lack of appropriate conversations. Thus, lack of knowledge ultimately becomes an outlet for these fears and the associated rejection of LGBTIQ* persons.
69 states penalise same-sex love
One reason for the necessity of the IDAHOBIT is also the fact that homosexuality is still punishable in 69 countries worldwide. In Africa alone, homosexuals are persecuted and discriminated against in 33 countries. In Somalia, Somaliland, Mauritania and northern Nigeria, the accused face the death penalty if convicted. While in the Gambia and Sierra Leone they face life imprisonment. Still in many African countries, homosexuality is considered a Western import, which is not only contrary to customs and traditions, but also to the widespread Christianity and Islam in those countries.
Actually, it was not homosexuality that was imported from Europe to Africa, but rather the homophobia that prevailed there. Arch-conservative religious representatives, among others, are a major contributor to this.
What is hardly known is the fact that homosexuality does exist in Africa’s history. This is evidenced, for example, by cave paintings in Zimbabwe that show same-sex sex. In Buganda, a kingdom in present-day Uganda, Mwanga II ruled as a homosexual king. Such and similar evidence and stories can be found in numerous other countries on the African continent. The now rapidly increasing homophobia and persecution of homosexuals only began with the colonisation of Africa and the growing influence of European and Arab nations.
An open society does not need IDAHOBIT
Unfortunately, our world is not perfect, because in a perfect world there would be no hate against LGBTIQ* people. If all people were characterised by tolerance and acceptance, there would be no need to celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia on 17 May and to point out the rights of people belonging to these groups.
As long as there is hatred against members of the LGBTIQ* community, there is a need for education and above all awareness raising. In European culture, but also in many other cultures, people’s thinking has been influenced by Christianity for centuries. This influence of Christian fundamentalists must be ended so that people have the opportunity to deal with the issues of sexuality, sexual orientation and sexual identity without being influenced by religion or politics. It is important to understand that homosexuality is natural, not homophobia. It is not the same as arachnophobia or mysophobia or homophobia. Homophobia, biophobia, interphobia and transphobia are synonymous with hatred and ignorance. No more and no less!
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