Today marks 32 years since the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its official register of diseases.

To note the annual passing of this important historical rights achievement IDAHO Day was launched 17 years ago.

Since then International Day Against Homophobia has broadened its acronym to include people who are transgender, bi+, ace+ or intersex as well, and it’s gained the catchy name IDAHOBIT too.

As we head towards a federal election this weekend – transgender, gender diverse and intersex lives have once again been used as a political football – which has undoubtedly been difficult for members of our communities.

LGBTQIA+ advocates and medical professionals stood up for trans lives and healthcare after misinformation shared by the Prime Minister.

Representatives from advocacy group Transcend Australia, the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH) and Equality Australia teamed up to set the record straight.

“It’s deeply concerning to see the Prime Minister spreading these alarmist views when the reality is that young transgender people struggle to access the care that they need, when they need it”, said Jeremy Wiggins, Executive Officer of Transcend Australia.

“These are personal decisions about healthcare that should be left to young people and the doctors and parents that support them, rather than debated by politicians in the middle of a federal election campaign.”

“The real key issues impacting trans young people and their families include the lack of appropriately funded health and support services, and the high rates of harassment and abuse, which are actually driving poor mental health rates for our community, resulting in higher rates of self-harm and suicidality.”

An election forum hosted by Equality Australia earlier this month also fielded questions on what issues were most important to LGBTQIA+ folks this election.

Issues raised included standing up for trans and gender diverse folks against misinformation and scare campaigns, ending LGBTQIA+ conversion practices, stopping unnecessary procedures on intersex people, developing a long-term plan for LGBTQIA+ health and wellbeing, suicide prevention, ending new HIV transmissions and protections for LGBTQIA+ staff against the government’s still-looming Religious Discrimination Bill.

In 2019, 70.9% of LGBTIQ+ people agreed that the primary aim of religious freedom advocates is to take away the rights of LGBTIQ+ people, while 43.5% said they believe Australia is not an accepting nation.

62.2% of respondents said they feel vulnerable, 67.2% angry and 78.4% not respected, and 97.9% said they believe religious organisations like schools and hospitals should not be allowed to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, while 92% believe individuals should be able to say whatever they want about LGBTIQ+ people in the name of religion.

Three years later, the Morrison Government hopes to forge ahead with the legislation if re-elected, while Labor has made no commitment to protect LGBTQIA+ staff in religious schools.

Just.Equal Australia’s Brian Greig recently highlighted that Labor voted to remove existing state discrimination protections from teachers in faith-based schools when the Bill was debated in February.

“We have written to Labor asking for its policy on LGBTIQ+ teachers in faith-based schools but have not received a response.”

“We call on Labor to respond to our questions and to release its response to questions on the same topic from the National Catholic Education Commission.” Greig said.

The National Catholic Education Commission has called on both major parties to clarify how they will bring forward federal legislation for Religious Discrimination.

Though 17 years has passed since the first IDAHO was marked, and over three decades since homosexuality was declassified as an illness, there is still much, much more work to be done.

OIP Staff

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Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au

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The team at Connection and Wellbeing Australia (CAWA) will once again be honouring the occasion with a special event bringing together LGBTQIA+ folks and allies to learn more and share experiences to help combat discrimination from external sources, as well as within our community.

This year’s event will focus on allyship, providing tools for allies to better support our community, as well as bringing different sectors of our community together.

“Presently LGBTIQA+ folks are experiencing high levels of distressed with COVID, the Religious Discrimination Bill, the election campaign and general daily experiences of discrimination,” CAWA Director Bella Broadway says.

“As well as burnout of LGBTIQA+ groups, volunteers and community leaders that have been holding space.”

“When CAWA deliver Inclusive Practice Workshops, one of the most common responses is: ‘We don’t know what to do’. People are allies in name, but not action.”

LGBTQIA+ community leaders, experts and organisations are working with CAWA to produce a short series of videos that can be used as resources to build the capacity of allies and ease the burden on our communities to educate and combat discrimination.

Community members are also invited to get involved and share their experiences with a short survey ahead of IDAHOBIT on May 17.

If you’d like to participate, you can fill out the survey HERE and apply to be a part of the video series which is filming this Thursday May 12.

IDAHOBIT 2022: Activating Allyship will be held online from 10am on Tuesday May 17. To register, head to webinarjam.com

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Defence Minister Peter Dutton has spoken about his ban on the military acknowledging ‘woke’ days such as International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHoBIT).

Appearing on Alan Jones television program Minister Dutton said it was important that the military represented the wishes of the tax payers who funded their activities.

“Part of the problem in this whole ‘woke’ debate more generally at the moment is you’ve got activists on social media who might have a dozen followers who all of a sudden are bullying companies and government departments into positions that does not reflect the majority view.” Minister Dutton told the program.

“People who are working their guts out in the suburbs and in regional towns around the country, they work hard for their money, they pay their taxes and they pay the wages of the Australian Defence Force.” Minister Dutton said.

“They expect the defence force to be trained the best that they can, not to be off on these frolics and I’ve made it very clear that this is not to happen again.”

The Minister said that since his orders had been made public he’d received a lot of support from the Australian people.

“Over the course of the last few days there’s been an enormous amount of support for this stance that we’ve taken, it’s a common-sense approach, and most people want our defence force to be in the best possible shape they can be in.” Minister Dutton said.

Dutton said he had made it clear to the chiefs of the defence force that discrimination would not be tolerated on any basis, but they needed to focus on making sure the nation was secure and protected.

“When your telling people that you can’t use language like ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ or your asking people for pronouns – I’m sorry it doesn’t have a place in the modern defence force.

“We don’t discriminate against people, I don’t care about people’s sexual orientation, their skin colour, their race, their religion, it’s completely irrelevant, we treat everybody the same, and we don’t have the time, the capacity to embark on these sort of quasi-political agendas.” Minister Dutton said.

The minister said the focus for the Australian military was to make sure they were the best trained and prepared fighting machine in the world.

“That’s why our allies respect us and our enemies fear us,” Minister Dutton said.

Jones introduced the segment reading an email he received from an ex-soldier who asked “How are we ever going to fight a war against China when we’re busy running around waging a war on pronouns?”

After the Ministers intervention was revealed in the media last week he has faced criticsim, including accusations her was a “warmonger”.

Graeme Watson

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Growing up queer can be tough for many young people. Despite much progress, three out of four (75%) Australian LGBTQIA+ youth still experience some form of bullying or discrimination.

Indigenous Australians and those from non-English speaking backgrounds are the two most likely groups to experience discriminatory behaviours.

Findings from the LGBTQIA+ Health Australia 2019/20 Report highlights the complexities and challenges facing queer young people from multicultural backgrounds. Experts are calling on Australia to embrace and celebrate the proudly cultural and sexual composition of Gen Z and Millennial communities.

In celebration of IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia), Minus18, Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation engaging LGBTQIA+ youth, and Brendan Pang have collaborated with Snap Australia to create a series of augmented reality (AR) Lenses that celebrate and shine a light on the multicultural diversity of pride in Australia.

“Despite ongoing progress, growing up as a member of two minority groups was a real challenge. However, time and time again, I have been reminded of the power that celebrating individual identity can have on my personal well-being and sense of community. The Snapchat Lenses that we have created showcase the importance of celebrating our diversity, be that on Snapchat or in person,” says Brendan Pang.

“It’s alarming and heart-breaking that young people from multicultural backgrounds are still more susceptible to discrimination by nature of their ethnicity and upbringing. Initiatives such as these awesome Snapchat AR Lenses created by Minus18 for IDAHOBIT demonstrate the importance of celebrating pride and diversity, no matter the colour of someone’s skin,” adds Pang.

“We are delighted to once again partner with Minus18 to encourage Snapchatters to celebrate IDAHOBIT. We hope through these Lenses, we bring attention to the need of celebrating the diverse community we have within the LGBTQIA+ community here in Australia. As a platform that reaches over 90% of 13–24-year-olds and over 75% 13-34-year-olds here in Australia, we have a responsibility to ensure that Snapchat is a safe platform that allows Snapchatters to be their authentic self, while communicating with their close friends,” says Clare Nash, Head of Client Partnerships, Snap Australia.

Minus18 also commented on the partnership in the lead up to IDAHOBIT:

“Partnering with Snap for a second year is an incredible opportunity to celebrate with LGBTQIA+ young people around Australia,” Minus18 CEO, Micah Scott, said. “The partnership and Proudly Diverse Lenses serve as an important reminder to elevate intersectional voices within our community.”

The IDAHOBIT themed Lenses will be available on Snapchat from Monday 17th May. Lenses can be found by searching “IDAHOBIT” in the Snapchat Lens Carousel explore bar.

Source: Media release

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Join the team from Connection and Wellbeing Australia (CAWA) for their fourth annual community connection event for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex discrimination and Transphobia next month.

This year, CAWA are facilitating a conversation that will focus on the stories of First Nations folks, PoC, CALD and Bla(c)k LGBTQIA+ folks, exploring the intersections of culture, community and identity.

LGBTQIA+ folks, health and mental health services, community groups and allies are invited to come along for a yarn about allyship, visibility and connection with a shared goal of learning how we can all be better at walking together.

Panelists include Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Equity and Indigenous) and Head of Kurongkurl Katitjin, ECU’s Centre of Indigenous Australian Education and Research Professor Braden Hill (he/him), health & community care worker and advocate Deborah Costello (she/her), young professional and AFL player Ashara Wills, businesswoman and proud mum Prem Wills and videographer Bernadette Ong.

There will also be other activities available on the day with delicious afternoon tea, Rabble Books & Games will have a selection of BIPOC & queer books on sale and Born To Sparkle will be bringing a touch of glitter and pride.

The FREE event will be presented in person and via online webinar, and the event will be Auslan interpreted. Registration is essential!

IDAHoBIT 2021 Boorloo (Perth) will be held at North Perth Town Hall on Monday 17th May from 10am. Head here for in-person registration, or follow this link to register for online attendance.

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Pride In Peel have announced a week of events to mark this year’s IDAHoBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia).

Marked on May 17th each year, IDAHoBIT is an occasion to raise awareness of issues facing LGBTQIA+ people here at home and around the world, and promote inclusion among local communities.

Pride in Peel President, Stephen Carter, said IDOHOBIT day is an important date in the calendar and is is excited for the Peel community to enjoy the celebrations.

“IDOHoBIT DAY is celebrated on 17 May every year to mark the date when, in 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems,” Carter said.

“Many people think of Pride in Peel as the organisers of the Peel Pride Parade, but we are expanding our activities to really bring change to the region.

“We are focused on putting year-round effort towards creating a safe, diverse, welcoming and inclusive community for LGBITQA+ in the Peel Region. We are really excited to offer such an array of events during the week.”

Events include a karaoke night, bottomless brunch with Fay Rocious, a fabulous op-shop ball, a family fun day and a rainbow cruise.

Additionally, the iconic Mandurah Bridge will be lit in rainbow colours on the night of 17 May. Pride in Peel’s IDAHoBIT celebrations are proudly supported by The City of Mandurah.

Pride In Peel’s IDAHoBIT week runs from 13th – 17th May. To get tickets and more information go to prideinpeel.com.au

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This year, CAWA are facilitating a conversation that will focus on the stories of First Nations folks, PoC, CALD and Bla(c)k LGBTQIA+ folks, exploring the intersections of culture, community and identity.

LGBTQIA+ folks, health and mental health services, community groups and allies are invited to come along for a yarn about allyship, visibility and connection with a shared goal of learning how we can all be better at walking together.

Panelists are set to be announced in the coming weeks, and the event will be Auslan interpreted. The free event will be presented in person and via online webinar.

IDAHoBIT 2021 Boorloo (Perth) will be held at North Perth Town Hall on Monday 17th May from 10am. For more information, head to Facebook.

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To mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHoBIT), the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) have voted unanimously to support survivors of LGBTIQ+ conversion therapy.

National Australian student medical societies voted in favour of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts (SOGICE) Survivor Statement at AMSA’s National Council over the weekend. The association is the peak body for Australia’s 17,000 medical students, which includes the AMSA Queer Project – an initiative that promotes queer health education across Australian Medical Schools.

The SOGICE statement, devised by survivors of harmful LGBTIQ+ conversion therapy practices, and endorsed by LGBTIQ+ advocates and people of faith, calls on the Australian Government to join international jurisdictions such as Brazil, Ecuador, Taiwan and states of the USA in intervening against conversion practices.

The SOGICE statement recommends a national inquiry into conversion therapy in Australia, regulatory enforcement of directives from Australia’s peak psychological and health bodies that prohibit the practice, public health campaigns warning against the dangers of LGBTIQ+ conversion attempts, protections for young Australians, tighter regulations and funding for LGBTIQ+ and mental health organisations to support survivors and boost awareness.

“The SOGICE Survivor Statement and its recommendations represent an important set of steps towards stopping the practice of conversion therapy and ensuring adequate support is provided for survivors,” AMSA President Daniel Zou said of the decision.

“Affirmation of this statement shows our continued support for the Queer identifying community and the need for strong government actions on issues such as gender conversion therapy.”

AMSA’s Queer National Coordinator Anthony Copeland adds that AMSA’s unanimous agreement shows the organisation’s strong commitment to prioritise harm prevention.

“We will continue to advocate with survivors of these practices and call for more action by the government.”

The SOGICE statement has also been affirmed by high profile LGBTIQ+ advocacy and health organisations, including Amnesty International Australia, ACON, Thorne Harbour Health and PFLAG.

A change.org petition calling for a ban on conversion therapy in Australia, launched by conversion survivor Chris Csabs who featured on SBS’ Christians Like Us, has reached over 65,000 signatures online.

Leigh Andrew Hill

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Anti-transgender organisation Binary has been challenged to release the full details of their survey which they claim shows Australian parents are overwhelmingly opposed to their children learning about the experiences of people who are transgender.

The Australian newspaper published the results of the poll on the eve of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHoBIT).

According to The Australian a poll of 3,842 parents across Australia shows strong opposition to children learning about gender fluidity in classrooms, with 88 per cent of coalition supporters, and 72 per cent of Labor voters voicing their opposition.

While the full details of the survey have not been made available, Bernard Lane, The Australian’s reporter dedicated to covering gender issues says that around 80 per cent of young people “around the age of marriage” are concerned that teachers are telling children they can change their gender based on how they feel.

The report claims concern strongest in Queensland and Western Australia, but not as strong in Victoria. The report also suggests that increasing numbers of young people accessing professionals for assistant with gender incongruence is linked to the anti-bullying Safe Schools program.

LGBTI advocates have challenged Smith to release the full details of the survey, including the questions that were asked of respondents.

Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said people deserved to see the full details of what was asked of the respondents.

“We challenge Binary to release its survey questions because Australians deserve to see what was asked.””

Croome said it was concerning that people had reported an anonymous telephone survey in March that featured biased questions.

“If the questions were the same as those asked anonymously in early March by a Sydney-based company then they should be completely disregarded because they were designed to return a result very unfavourable to transgender and gender diverse people.” Croome said.

Croome accused Binary of bias and said its survey is fear-mongering that tilts at windmills.

“Binary grew out of the No campaign against marriage equality and its spokesperson, Kirralie Smith, was a leading voice for that campaign, so we cannot expect Binary or Ms Smith to be even-handed.”

“Binary’s survey tilts at windmills by declaring schools teach students they can change gender identity when in fact teachers and students are learning how to be more inclusive of transgender and gender diverse students.”

“Transgender and gender diverse young people deserve support and inclusion, not the kind of divisive, politicised fear-mongering we see from groups like Binary.” Croome said.

Binary have not released any details of their survey beyond what has been published in The Australian, but back in April CEO Kirralie Smith offered supporters a first look at the results if they donated funds to the organisation.

The organisation has also voiced it’s opposition to the IDAHoBiT Day, saying it will see many organisations “ramming rainbows down everyone’s throats.”

Smith said words like homophobia, biphobia and transphobia were “made-up words” that were designed to silence difference of opinion, and events marking the day would see people who held difference views being excluded and ostracised.

“Politicians will prattle on and pledge support to fight these fantasy-based phobias while oppressing the majority of the population who live in reality.” Smith said on the organisation’s website.

OIP Staff

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This Sunday 17th May marks International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHoBIT), honouring 30 years since the day was first acknowledged.

Newly formed LGBTIQ+ not-for-profit Pride in Peel has revealed their COVID-19 friendly calendar of IDAHoBIT events in Mandurah and surrounding areas.

“Pride in Peel are beyond excited for the events we have lined up for IDAHoBIT week. It’s a week to embrace diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics,” Pride in Peel founder Stephen Carter said.

“If you are unable to take part in any of the events or activities, you can do your bit by simple wearing a splash of rainbow for the day. You can also support local businesses who display rainbow flags or stickers too!”

Supported by Neami National Suicide Prevention Program, the City of Mandurah, Alcoa Australia and Proud Marketing, the week-long schedule of events will include an online workshop for young folks, an exclusive rainbow cruise & dinner, digital drag shows with Fay Rocious, bingo night and more!

Mandurah’s iconic bridge will also be lighting up in rainbow colours to mark the occasion.

Pride In Peel’s IDAHoBIT celebrations are running from Sunday 17th May. For the full roster of events and more information, head to prideinpeel.com.au

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