Content warning: The following refers to harm towards LGBTIQA+ communities.
Sunday 17 May is IDAHOBIT, also known as the Day Against LGBTIQA+ Discrimination. It marks the 1990 anniversary of when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.
The day has since evolved through increased recognition of how all LGBTIQA+ communities have been impacted by discrimination. For example, laws policing ‘homosexuality’ were often broadly applied to bisexual, transgender, asexual and intersex people as well.
IDAHOBIT – why does it matter in 2026?
We’ve made some recent advances in LGBTIQA+ human rights in Australia, but challenges still remain.
- Conversion practices are outlawed in Victoria but remain legal in other parts of the country.
- A 2025 report found that LGBTIQA+ people are less likely to be out at work in 2025 than they were in 2022.
- Intersex infants still face invasive, cosmetic medical procedures across most of the country.
- The Australian Human Rights Commission recently released the Equal Identities Report, highlighting widespread and increasing discrimination against trans and gender diverse people when accessing education, healthcare, workplaces, housing and justice systems.
- Religious exemptions legally allow removal of LGBTIQA+ teachers and students in select schools and workplaces.
Actions you can take
If you want to learn some more practical tips on how we can support our LGBTIQA+ colleagues, students and community, go to the IDAHOBIT website.
Need support?
- Connect with La Trobe’s Wellbeing Services, including Student Wellbeing Connect.
- You can access La Trobe’s Safer Community Service, a free and confidential support service for all La Trobe students and staff.
- If you witness or experience inappropriate, threatening or concerning behaviour of any kind, online, or in-person, please visit the Safer Community website to contact the service. You can use the website to contact Safer Community anonymously.
- Out-of-hours mental health and wellbeing support can be accessed anytime 24 hours a day by calling 1300 146 307 or texting 0488 884 100.
- QLife: Counselling for LGBTIQ people, by LGBTIQ people. Tel: 1800 184 527
