History and meaning of the International Day Against Discrimination against the LGBT Community on May 17

May 17 every year is the day the world speaks out against stigma and discrimination against people from the bisexual, gay and transgender (LGBT) community through many meaningful actions.

History and origin of the International Day Against Stigma and Discrimination Against the LGBT Community

Before learning about the history and origin of this day, we also need to understand what LGBT Day is first. LGBT is an acronym for 4 English words: lesbian - lesbian, gay - gay, bisexual - bisexual, transgender - transgender . To make it easier to understand, LGBT is a word used to refer to the community of people belonging to the four groups mentioned above or those who are searching for their true gender.

Before the United Nations recognized it, for a long time in Germany, people took May 17 as Gay Day.

People in the LGBT community are often considered unusual, different and discriminated against in many places. Those who discriminate against the LGBT community say they are 'disgusting' . Before the United Nations recognized it, for a long time in Germany, people took May 17 as Gay Day. It was not until May 17, 1990 that WHO officially removed homosexuality from the list of mental diseases.

By 2004, the LGBT community combined with people who were not homophobic to organize the International Day Against Homophobia and Discrimination Against Homosexuals and Bisexuals. The event is considered a result of the tireless efforts of many LGBT organizations around the world with the participation of 24,000 people. Also from this time, the IDAHOT Committee was born to coordinate the activities of the LGBT community in many different countries. In addition, ILGA and IGLHRC are also large organizations related to the gay and bisexual community.

Also from here, May 17 is recognized as the international day against discrimination against homosexuals and bisexuals, or IDAHOT day for short . In particular, since its inception, many countries have recognized this day such as: Italy, Canada, Spain, England, Mexico, Croatia, Belgium, European Union (EU). In parallel with the recognition Recognizing this, IDAHOT Committees were also established in many countries to monitor and support the activities of the LGBT community.

May 17 is now celebrated in over 130 different countries , however, many countries still consider homosexuality illegal. IDAHOT Day is considered an important milestone in human rights for people in the LGBT community and attracts attention from the media, authorities as well as large corporations and the public to the LGBT community facing face because of their sexual orientation. IDAHOT Committees have also been formed in many countries to raise social awareness about the problems of violence, stigma and unfair discrimination against the LGBT community. This will also change society's perception of people who want to live according to their gender, thereby influencing policy makers.

Meaning of IDAHOT day

IDAHOT Day aims to raise awareness about the LGBT community.

By creating events on May 17, organizers and the LGBT community hope to:

Raise awareness of the entire society about homosexual, bisexual, and transgender people to better understand this group of people. Everyone in the world wants to live with their true self, and so do people in the LGBT community

Reduce stigma, discrimination and violence against gay, bisexual or transgender people. In essence, LGBT people are just people like everyone else, they're just living in a gender that doesn't match their appearance. They are not wrong, they are not evil. Therefore, if someone has discrimination against LGBT people, those people are the ones who are wrong.

It is possible to create larger events on IDAHOT day at a global level, not just in each country as currently. This will help connect the LGBT community around the world, while increasing awareness and helping "come out" opportunities expand.

Activities to respond to IDAHOT Day around the world

To support the LGBT community, many activities have taken place around the world, especially in America, Latin America, and Europe. Through these events, the message of protecting the LGBT community will be widely disseminated around the world. On LGBT Day:

Many events took place on May 17 that attracted the media.

1. In Cuba , the street parade was organized on a large scale by Mariela Castro for 3 consecutive years. In particular, from September 27, 2022, Cuba will be the first communist country to officially recognize same-sex marriage, meaning that in this country, same-sex couples can marry, adopt children or become surrogate mothers. commerce. This is considered a major turning point as before, during the time of President Fidel Castro, gay people would be sent to prison and discriminated against.
2. In Chile, more than 50 thousand people participated in celebrating IDAHOT Day
3. Global Rainbow Flashmob is an event with the participation of more than 50 activists from different countries and 100 cities that took place in 2013.
4. In Albania , the music festival "Love Music Hate Homophobia" or cycling through the streets is considered a major event to celebrate May 17.

Support for the LGBT community in Vietnam

In 2011, the first event on the occasion of the International Day Against Stigma and Discrimination against the LGBT community was held in our country. The event received a lot of support from people in the community and the whole society as well as department leaders, the media and policy makers.

In Vietnam, "Vietnamese Pride" has also been held annually since 2012.

Until 2018, the United Nations in Vietnam officially participated in the IDAHOT Solidarity Alliance to help reduce discrimination against homosexual people.

The most typical example in Vietnam is probably the annual Viet Pride event that has taken place since 2012. The provision prohibiting people of the same sex from marrying was lifted in 2014, effective in 2015, and seems to have provided provides a legal basis for changing legal gender identity. Up to now, Vietnam has made great strides in realizing the right to legal gender recognition of transgender people.

Every year, on May 17, the LGBT community in Vietnam will gather and participate in the parade with the six-colored flag - the flag of the gay and bisexual community. The Viet Pride event is an important premise for society to know more and share more with the LGBT community.

Now you know the history and significance of May 17 - LGBT day? As a person living in a civilized age, please contribute your small part to help spread the word so that the LGBT community can be more recognized.