"I DARE TO CARE ABOUT EQUALITY"

The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), celebrated every May 17, was founded in 2004 by Louis-Georges Tin as an effort to coordinate international events to call for respect for lesbians and gays worldwide. May 17 was chosen as the date of the event because homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 17, 1990.

 By 2006, IDAHO – and its call not just for decriminalization of homosexuality but also the uplifting of the status of gays and lesbians all over the world – has gained wide support, including several Nobel Prize winners (Desmond Tutu, Amartya Sen, Elfriede Jelinek, Dario Fo, José Saramago), artists (Merryl Streep, Cindy Lauper, Elton John, David Bowie), intellectuals (Noam Chomsky, Judith Butler, Bernard-Henri Lévy), non-government organizations (ILGA, FIDH), politicians, and many others. Globally, thousands of people from various communities (LGBT, as well as our allies) organize LGBT-related events from as far as Congo, China and Bulgaria.

 In the Philippines, as part of IDAHO, localized campaigns were made by Outrage Magazine, among others, since 2009.

 For IDAHO 2012, the Bahaghari Center for Research, Education and Advocacy (Bahaghari) held a project, “I dare to care about equality”, a photographic campaign calling for everyone to take a more proactive stance in fighting discrimination.

 We celebrate those who believe in equality.

 -Outrage Magazine and Bahaghari Center