IDIDAHO - International Day Against HOmophobia |
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2009 IDAHO committee has begun planning IDAHO 2009! Send an email to Idaho@gmhealth.org.au if you would like to help, support, sponsor or donate to IDAHO 2009. Fondation Émergence has proposed for the International Day Against Homophobia 2009 (May 17) theme be to combat homophobia within cultural communities, to raise awareness among the newly arrived and to support gays and lesbians from these communities.
What is IDAHO? On 17 May 1990, the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. The fight for the recognition of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people did not end there though. And it continues today, across the globe, in a great variety of ways. Today over 80 countries in the world still criminalise homosexuality and condemn consensual same sex acts with a variety of penalties (Ottosson 2007). In seven countries consensual same sex acts still carry the death penalty. These include:
Information current on 10th October 2007 Discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation and gender identity is still not recognised formally by the member states of the United Nations (even though human rights mechanisms such as the Human Rights Committee have repeatedly condemned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity).
What is Homophobia? Homophobia is the hostility, disapproval, prejudice, hatred or fear of homosexuals or those perceived as homosexual. Homophobia sometimes may lead to acts of violence and expressions of hostility and discrimination. (Pharr, pp. 424-437) Examples of Homophobia include behaviours or attitudes which:
(Pardie & Luchetta, p. 76) The impact of Homophobia
Reference: Ottosson, D 2007, State-sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults, International Lesbian and Gay Association, Belgium. Pardie, L & Luchetta, T 1999, The Construction of Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men, Haworth Press, Philadelphia. Pharr, S 2000, ‘Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism’, in Umansky, L & Plott, M, Making Sense of Women’s Lives: An Introduction to Women’s Studies, Rowman & Littlefield, New York. The International Lesbian and Gay Association, World Day against Death Penalty 7 countries still put people to death for same-sex acts, Retrieved from (International Lesbian and Gay Association, 2007) The International Lesbian and Gay Association, World Map of GLBTI Rights.
How was IDAHO celebrated in South Australia in 2007? Members of the IDAHO organising committee for 2007 included representatives from Gay Men’s Health (a program of AIDS Council of SA), Shine SA, Inside Out, (a program of Second Story Youth Service), Central Northern Primary Health Care Services and the South Australian Police. Posters and postcards were developed and printed and IDAHO was also featured on the front page of blaze (Adelaide's fortnightly GLBT community newspaper) issue #161. A number of events were held across the Adelaide metropolitan area, including displays in community service offices and morning teas where rainbow cakes and other IDAHO-suggested food was served and the effects of homophobia discussed. SA Police also mounted displays on the day in suburban shopping centres. These displays were coordinated by Local Service Area (LSA) Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers (GLLOs). A car convoy through the city streets of Adelaide was also held on May 12th, the Saturday before IDAHO. The convoy was a big success, as decked with different flags representing each colour of the GLBT rainbow flag, vehicles progressed through the city blaring out anti-homophobia messages through a megaphone. Many cheers and waves greeted the convoy, with only a handful of negative or abusive remarks being heard. Afterwards, the crowd celebrated at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, George Street, Thebarton.
Looking to the future In 2004, Fondation Émergence publicly revealed a five-year plan of action by proposing a specific theme for each campaign year and identifying an area of activity in society in which the need to fight against homophobia will be met. Some changes have been made to the original document, for example, regarding the event’s name and date. The bulk of the document, however, remains the same: the goals originally proposed by Fondation Émergence have not changed especially when it comes to national campaigns and annual themes.
Date Themes
The five year plan can be seen in full at www.homophobiaday.org
Theme for 2008 Homosexuality is not a sickness! Homosexuality is not a sickness! However, specialists haven’t always thought so, for a long time, mental health professionals considered sexual activity between same-sex partners an illness. Accustomed only to handling people with mental health issues, psychiatrists ended up believing that all gay men and lesbians were ill. They listed homosexuality among mental illnesses in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder) used by the American Psychiatric Association, an internationally recognized organisation. It was not until December 15, 1973, that homosexuality was removed from the Association’s reference manual. This decision is reflected in the DSM-III published in 1980. During an annual Board of Trustees meeting held in January 1975, the American Psychological Association did likewise by passing a resolution to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses and emotional disorders for good. In Australia in 1973, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists adopted a policy strongly condemning ‘community attitudes and laws which discriminate against homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private’ Psychological Association followed suit by adopting several resolutions based on the same principle. The Australian Psychological Society followed suit in 1974 with the establishment of the Committee on Social Issues. On May 17, 1991, the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. In 1992, this withdrawal was officially recorded in its international classification (ICD-10). At its 2006 National Conference, the American Psychological Association restated its position in which homosexuality as not an illness.
IDAHO Resources South Australian Developed resources
Please note contact details on Fondation Émergence resources are for residents within Canada only.
How Can I Celebrate IDAHO The fight against homophobia requires each and everyone in their communities to get involved. Here are a few examples of increasing community awareness:
Click here to view What's On for IDAHO 2008
For further information on IDAHO in South Australia, contact Hugh Beil, IDAHO Coordinator 2008 Russell Disher, Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officer (GLLO) co-coordinator Ryan Mellon, Community Health Worker Craig Murray, Community Health Worker Matt Potter, Social Marketing Officer Lauren Riggs, Community Health Worker
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