International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2026
This May 17th is the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, celebrating 36 years since the removal, in 1990, of homosexuality from the lists of mental illnesses by the World Health Organization.
While progress has been made in terms of rights since then, the ongoing institutional and social violence suffered by the community, coupled with numerous hate crimes and the fact that LGBTIQ+ people continue to be criminalized in 64 UN member states, highlights that freedom over bodies and sexualities constructed outside of the so-called binary norm makes a system that rejects diversity uncomfortable.
In this regard, CLACSO points to a growing tension in the region due to discourses that seek to reverse hard-won rights. The institutional narrative emphasizes that homophobia and transphobia are not isolated incidents, but rather part of a “patriarchal backlash” that links religious fundamentalism with neoliberal policies, with these forces using “gender ideology” as a tool for political demobilization.
Therefore, this day is essential to remember an unprecedented event that occurred 36 years ago in the struggle for rights, depathologization and visibility of multiple identities.
CLACSO TRAINING AND PRODUCTIONS
Advanced Diploma in Sexualities and Citizenship
It begins in August 2026 in virtual format – Registration will open soon
OPEN ACCESS BOOKS
Youth, sexualities and knowledge in secondary school
Gender, sexuality and the Latin American left
Livable sexual citizenships in Latin America and the Caribbean
LGBTI+ Knowledge / Central American Sexual Alterities in the Bicentennial
CLACSO Working Group "Sexual activism and citizenship: interdisciplinary dialogues"«
