Statement on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia - Gilbert Centre's Queer & Trans Youth Advisory Council

Today, May 17th, 2025, we celebrate the 20th annual International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

The very first International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia was held in 2005 on May 17th after a year-long campaign in 2004 to have this day recognized. The date of May 17th was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder on May 17th,1990.

IDAHOBIT Is a day for raising awareness about the repression, hardship, discrimination, and violence Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/questioning, Intersex, Asexual and more (2S-LGBTQIA+) people, also referred to as queer and trans folks, face globally. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s a day that’s celebrated around the world. Many people, places, and organizations put on big events or fundraisers to raise awareness or just to celebrate their queer identities and communities.

IDAHOBIT is important because around the world, we get to come together as queer and trans communities to share our stories, our hardships, struggles, and hopes for our future. And not just with other queer and trans people, but with our allies as well. On this day we have opportunities to have our voices heard, ourselves and our identities seen and understood. On this day, we can use the opportunity to take action and engage in dialogue with the media, policymakers, and public opinion.

This year, the theme of IDAHOBIT is “The Power of Communities." As the Gilbert Centre's Queer & Trans Youth Advisory Council, we want to honor this theme by addressing about the state of our queer and trans communities and how we can get through these tough times together.

Right now, the state of the world is challenging, to say the least. Everyone is going through some sort of struggle. In the spirit of IDAHOBIT, let’s talk about what’s going through our minds.

The world is full of hate, and a lot of that hate is directed at us—queer and trans folks. This hate is especially felt by those of us with intersecting marginalized identities, such as QTBIPOC (Queer & Trans Black folks, Indigenous folks, and people of colour), people with disabilities, and newcomers among others. And we the queer and trans community, with all of our intersectionalities, would like to say: we’re here, we’re still queer, and we’re not going anywhere.

Governments locally and around the world are witnessing and supporting hateful views of us and our community, and it’s scary. People who are loud with their messages of hate are more easily heard. It can feel lonely and like there’s no one who can help, but that’s not the truth. Hate and the idea of division are merely weapons. There are still people here to help, and they’re not going anywhere.

It can feel like progress is undoing. Homes are more unsafe. Health care is harder to find. Outward support is harder to access. And laws that uphold our protection are getting worse and scarcer.

Even though we've a Liberal Prime Minister, our fight in Canada is far from over. Make sure you stay educated, informed, and involved in what's going on across the country. Regardless of those in power, there is still discrimination and hate towards queer and trans people in Canada every day.

A 2024 survey showed a decline in Canadian support for queer and trans rights and visibility, with a major decrease in the acceptance of public displays of affection and media representation. While Canada has made efforts in advancing queer and trans rights, challenges that impact the community's safety, legal rights, and social acceptance are still very prevalent.

Police-reported hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation increased by 69% from 2022 to 2023. Since 2016, such crimes have escalated by 388%. Despite protective laws, queer and trans folk in Canada face systemic barriers in legal and institutional systems. A study by the Community-Based Research Centre revealed issues such as increased workplace discrimination and harassment as well as systemic biases in family law, immigration, and the criminal-legal system. Rather than making our communities safer, these policies make queer and trans people significantly more vulnerable to discrimination and violence, and disproportionately impact members of queer and trans communities who experience intersecting oppressions.

Another challenge we are seeing in Canada is political backlash and policy changes, like how Alberta has implemented measures requiring parental consent for kids to use different names or pronouns in school, restricted access to gender-affirming care for minors, and municipalities across Canada are voting to ban Pride flags on public property.

With everything going on in Canada, it’s also important to pay attention to what's going on in the United States, with a wave of policies targeting queer and trans rights. The most notable is the Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025," which has sections specifically targeting queer and trans folk. These laws and policies will directly impact queer and trans people, including attempts to erase Queer and Trans people from federal legislation, plans to restrict healthcare for queer and trans folk, military service bans for trans and nonbinary people, and educational policy changes that remove queer and trans inclusive curriculum.

Not only are our rights being taken away in the United States, but unfortunately, so are supports. The administration’s draft budget proposed removing federal funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services, a program that has supported over 1.2 million people since 2022.

But no amount of hate or ignorance can take away our right to exist. We will always be here, living our lives and telling our stories.

With everything going on, it’s helpful to look back on the times when we, as queer and trans people, bounced back from oppression. Every time society denied who we are and tried to push us back into the closet, we came out stronger and more united by creating more spaces, acceptance, and freedom for queer and trans people to exist and excel.

An example of this is the queer and trans community’s response to the Toronto Bathhouse Raids of 1981. On February 5, 1981, police raided four gay bathhouses, resulting in one of the largest mass arrests in Canadian history—over 300 people. The raids were violent, dehumanizing, and part of a long pattern of police harassment against the queer and trans community. But the next night, over 3,000 people protested in the streets. The raids sparked the Canadian gay liberation movement and led to the formation of advocacy groups like The Right to Privacy Committee, galvanizing political momentum.

Another example of queer resilience is the HIV/AIDS epidemic that swept across Canada and the U.S. In the U.S, the federal government ignored the crisis while thousands died. Queer and trans people were demonized, blamed, and ostracized. This fueled anger and activism. Groups like ACT UP and GMHC formed and demanded government action, using unique protest tactics like die-ins. The Silence = Death campaign captured national attention. Buddy programs and community clinics were built from scratch to support each other.

Similar responses happened in Canada, where queer and trans people, especially gay men, were stigmatized, discriminated against in healthcare, and silenced in the media. Many died without proper care due to government inaction. But community-based responses arose, such as Casey House in Toronto (Canada’s first HIV/AIDS hospice), AIDS Vancouver, and the rise of AIDS Service Organizations like the Gilbert Centre. Activists pushed for funding, education, and harm reduction, laying the groundwork for public health reforms.

Our takeaway from these stories is this: yes, the world tried to silence us. But we found our voices in each other. We became so loud that they had no choice but to listen.

Sometimes it feels like our lives are on a time clock.
 "Only so much more time to transition."
 "Only so much more time before we have to hide who we are."
 "Only so much more time before any safety we have is taken away"

To be visibly queer is to choose your happiness over your safety. And that is so wrong. We have every right to be angry. No one should have the ability to say that we don’t have a right to safety.

Keeping with the IDAHOBIT theme of "The Power of Communities," we want to remind all queer and trans folks that you are not alone during this difficult time. We have always found and made our community, even when it has been challenging or outright illegal to do so. And we won’t stop fighting for a better life.

In these tough moments in history, it’s important to spend time with loved ones and community, and look to each other and say: we’re not alone in this. We will always be able to find people and places that love and support us for who we are.

In a harsh winter, you can forget there are seeds buried beneath the snow. And when spring finally comes, you can doubt those seeds will ever sprout. But sometimes, one rain is all it takes. Those seeds sprout, grow, and blossom. The seeds you thought would never see spring outlasted the winter and bloomed—brighter and more colorful than you ever imagined.

Our hope and our community are like those seeds. We can and we will outlast this bitter winter. The rain will feel good on our skin. The sun will be a kind relief. And our spring will be so, so beautiful.

With things still being unpredictable right now, it’s important to stay positive but also stay aware. Surround yourself with loved ones, focus on things that bring you joy, and take care of yourself. Get involved in the community, and use the resources available! As for allies, educate yourselves with reliable resources, stand up for us, and be ready to follow our lead in taking action.

Never apologize for being yourself. Never give up your happiness to please others. Never stop fighting until we all can live safe, happy, and full lives.

We’re here. We always have been. And always will be.

Stay strong. Stay hopeful. Stay together.
And stay mad.

In solidarity,

Gilbert Centre Queer & Trans Youth Advisory Council
Rory Lorelei Skingley (Youth Chair), Myth Jessop (Youth Secretary), Rielle van Gennip, Jay McCrea, Lawrence Blanchette, Leo ter Veen, and other anonymous members