Intereach celebrates IDAHOBIT Day 2021

Today is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), and our organisation would like to recognise the significance of this day.

This year’s IDAHOBIT theme is ‘Together: Resisting, Supporting, Healing’, and the members of our PRIDE Reference Group came up with a list of words of what this powerful theme means to them: Love, Support, Equality, Independence, Strength, Hope, Future, Passion, Education, Acceptance, Mindfulness, Care, Understanding, Resilience, Community, Respect, Sunshine, Togetherness, Spirit, Breath, United.

IDAHOBIT is a day to reflect on and raise awareness for the work still needed to combat discrimination, violence and oppression faced by lesbian, gay, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people globally.

This year’s theme was chosen in light of the recent challenges that the world has faced. The global pandemic has reinforced the importance of community, solidarity and coming together in the face of adversity. In the midst of ongoing challenges, this day of global awareness (May 17) continues to provide inspiration, support and healing to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Globally, IDAHOBIT has been acknowledged since 2004 and May 17 is a significant date in the ongoing fight for equality. On this day 31 years ago, in 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. The day is now celebrated in more than 130 countries.

To celebrate IDAHOBIT Day 2021 in our Loddon service area, we partnered with Goldfields Libraries, Headspace, Bendigo Community Health Services, Thorne Harbour Country, and the City of Greater Bendigo to support the flag-raising ceremony at the Bendigo Library Gardens. Intereach staff set up an information table to discuss how we can support LGBTQIA+ members of the community to access our support services.

Intereach staff member Bridge Griffin will also be participating in an IDAHOBIT online forum, ‘How to Ally’, tonight at 6pm to lead a discussion and offer a toolkit for families, teachers, employers and others to help them become better ‘allies’. To register for the event, click here.

Caption: Bendigo-based Local Area Coordination staff members Jessica Kemp, Branden Courtois and Bridge Griffin at the Intereach information table at the Library Gardens earlier today.