This Thursdsay, May 17, is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

The 17th was chosen to commemorate the World Health Organisation’s decision to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders, and is coordinated by the IDAHO Committee, which is based in Paris. The committee was founded by the French academic Louis-Georges Tin.

There will be thousands of events all over the world to mark the occasion. The largest event in the UK will be in Liverpool, where Homotopia has brought together 50 Merseyside companies & organisations who will mark the day by flying a rainbow flag. Working with Merseyside Probation Trust and artist Paul Harfleet & The Pansy Project, artists, community representatives, offenders and Merseyside Probation Trust will be planting pansies to raise awareness of discrimination around Liverpool. To read more about this magnificent project, click here to visit the Homotopia website.

To celebrate IDAHO, Polari writers will be talking about a homophobic incident they’ve experienced, and what that meant to them.

To learn more about IDAHO, click here to visit the website. To visit the IDAHO Facebook page, click here.