IDAHOBIT celebrations create awareness and understanding
On Friday, MatchWorks and genU celebrated International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) ahead of the official celebration on 17 May 2020.
30 years ago (on 17 May 1990), the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. This milestone would have played a role in the increased self-worth and acceptance of countless LGBTIQA+ people around the world.
Whilst this is reason to celebrate, many LGBTIQA+ people continue to experience persecution and even death at the hands of others.
In the USA, the number of hate crimes against the LGBTIQA+ community continues to remain alarmingly high.
See Human Dignity Trust and Human Rights Campaign for more details.
Over the past 18 months, genU’s Pride Committee has been making great progress towards gaining a broader understanding of the LGBTIQA+ community across all divisions of the organisation; through education, increased awareness and ultimately, more welcoming spaces.
Some of our accomplishments include:
- Compulsory Rainbow 101 Training for all staff
- Welcome Here Projects member
- Increased community engagement and participation at LGBTIQA+ specific events: Midsumma Festival and Better Together Conference
- Established working relationships with LGBTIQA+ stakeholders
- Working groups for transgender DES and jobactive clients.