May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia  is now celebrated in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal, and thousands of initiatives, big and small, are reported across the world.

First conceived by Louis-Georges Tin in 2004, and held on May 17, 2005, the initial International Day Against Homophobia was supported by more than 24,000 individuals as well as organizations such as the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), the World Congress of LGBT Jews, and the Coalition of African Lesbians.

The date of May 17 was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

Learn more about the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in this Wikipedia article, and from May17.org.

If your organization has a program or event planned for NCOD, and youʻd like us to promote it or partner with you, please contact us here at the Hawai’i LGBT Legacy Foundation at info@hawaiilgbtlegacy.com