International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersexphobia (IDAHOT)

Sunday May 17th, 2026, marks the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersexphobia. On this day, attention is drawn to the rights, wellbeing and discrimination faced by LGBTQAI+ people worldwide. Although the day is part of Pride Month in May, the focus is mainly on the unequal treatment and violence that many LGBTQAI+ people around the world still face today.

History

May 17th, 1990. On that day, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses. For a long time, it had been listed alongside severe disorders such as schizophrenia and dementia, categorized as a psychiatric “condition”. Removing homosexuality from this list was therefore essential for the LGBTQAI+ community and has since been seen as a milestone in the emancipation of their rights and recognition. To commemorate this struggle and to continue highlighting current difficulties, the 17th of May was renamed the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersexphobia, abbreviated as IDAHOT.

Importance

“But is such a day still necessary?” Many activists, NGOs and LGBTQAI+ people are asked this question daily. The short answer? Absolutely.

It is true that in recent decades, especially in Belgium and Western Europe, significant progress has been made regarding equal rights. Belgium ranks fourth on the Rainbow Map Europe, a scale that measures how 49 European countries perform in terms of LGBTQAI+ rights. With an overall score of 85.3 out of 100, Belgium nearly takes the top spot. The country has a strong legal framework, with marriage equality, legal gender recognition and strict anti-discrimination laws. We can be proud of that.

However, legal frameworks are only the tip of the iceberg. Sociological research on the acceptance of LGBTQAI+ people paints a much darker picture. Recent research by the Youth Research Platform (Jeugdonderzoeksplatform) shows that young men in particular are becoming less tolerant toward LGBTQAI+ people. 18.3% of respondents consider aggression against gay people acceptable and almost 20% would prefer to abolish same-sex marriage. Statistics on intolerance have doubled or even tripled compared to 2018. Despite legal progress, social acceptance is therefore declining sharply.

We also see worrying developments in other countries. In recent years, several African countries have tightened their laws on homosexuality, meaning LGBTQAI+ people in countries such as Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso can face prison sentences of up to 10 years. But even closer to home there are many examples: in Hungary, same-sex marriage is not legal, and other countries in Eastern Europe ban relationships between people of the same sex. According to Amnesty International, same-sex sexual acts are criminalized in 62 countries, and in at least 7 countries ‘perpetrators’ risk the death penalty.

The figures regarding transgender people are also alarming. Although Belgium is legally progressive thanks to the 2018 transgender law, the social reality tells a different story. Unia and the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men report a transphobic climate and the normalization of hateful behaviour. Trans people are often victims of discrimination and hate speech, with few legal consequences. In the rest of the world, the situation is often even worse. Trans people are frequently not legally protected and are sometimes actively prosecuted through “cross-dressing laws”.

Intersex people, meanwhile, suffer from a lack of public awareness. In Belgium, an average of five children is born every day with variations in sex characteristics, yet persistent ignorance in society often forms the basis of intersexphobia. As a result, a large proportion of intersex children are subjected to mutilation, known as ‘sexual normalisation’, which is carried out without consent and, in most cases, is not medically necessary.

What can you do?

It is clear that the LGBTQAI+ community is often the victim of discrimination and violence. Yet it is not always easy to respond, both as a victim and as a witness. Fortunately, in Belgium several institutions and organizations are committed to supporting people.

Do you want to report a crime motivated by homophobia, lesbophobia or transphobia? Local police often have specific reporting points where you can share your story. For Brussels you can find the information online; for other cities, contact your local police station.

Do you want to file a discrimination complaint? You can contact the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men (IGVM). This federal public service handles official complaints about unequal treatment of LGBTQAI+ people. Prefer to seek information first? The Transgender Infopunt (TIP) is a recognized local reporting point where someone will listen to your story and support you. You can later decide whether to file a complaint.

Are you a victim of sexual violence? You can contact one of the Sexual Violence Care Centres (Zorgcentra na seksueel geweld, or ZSG), which are available 24/7 and provide integrated care through a multidisciplinary approach.

• ZSG Ghent (UZ Gent): 09/332 80 80, zsg@uzgent.be.
• ZSG Antwerp (UZA): 03/436 80 50, zsg@uza.be.
• ZSG Limburg (ZOL Genk): 089/80 81 00, zsglimburg@zol.be.
• ZSG Brussels (UMC Sint-Pieter Brussel): 02/535 45 42, CPVS@stpierre-bru.be.
• ZSG Leuven (UZ Leuven): 016 34 11 11, zsg@uzleuven.be.
• ZSG West-Flanders (Roeselare): 051 23 80 80, zsg@azdelta.be
• ZSG/CPVS Charleroi (UMC Marie Curie): 071/92 41 00, CPVS@chu-charleroi.be.
• ZSG/CPVS Liège (UMC Liège):  04/367 93 11, cpvs@chuliege.be.

More information about LGBTQAI+?
Are you looking for more information about homosexuality, transgender people, intersex people or other aspects of the LGBTQAI+ community? Organizations and initiatives such as Rainbow House, the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men, and Genres Pluriels provide a wide range of information on their websites.