Following other initiatives such as the National Day Against Homophobia created in 2003 in the Quebec province of Canada by the Fondation Emergence and celebrated in June, Louis-Georges Tin, a French university lecturer, campaigner for Black and LGBT Rights and chief editor of the «Dictionary of Homophobia», launched in August 2004 an initiative to create an International Day Against Homophobia that is global in scope. He launched an appeal « For a universal recognition of the International Day Against Homophobia » (IDAHO) and proposed that this day be fixed on May 17th, to commemorate the World Health Organisation’s decision to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders.
By May 17th 2005, as a result of a year long campaigning effort, 24000 people worldwide and reputed international organisations like ILGA, IGLHRC, the World Congress of LGBT Jews, the Coalition of African lesbians, to name but a few, had signed the “IDAHO appeal”. In May 2005 already, the IDAHO saw some activities take place in many countries in the world. The first LGBT events ever were organised in Congo, China and Bulgaria. Josepp Borrell, President of the European Parliament made a statement supporting the IDAHO and invited Tin to the conference the EU Parliament organised for IDAHO 2006.
By that time a new campaign had been launched calling « For a universal decriminalisation of homosexuality » and on May 17th 2006 it had attracted support from 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), NGOs (ILGA, FIDH), politicians, etc...
For IDAHO 2006 again, the IDAHO Committee and GayRussia co-organised the first GayPride in Moscow, preceded by an International IDAHO conference that brought together many activists, organisations and politicians from around Europe and North America.
In July 2006, thanks to the efforts of Fondation Emergence, the Montreal Conference on LGBT Human Rights, organised in the wake of the Outgames, included in its final declaration a strong recommendation to all Governments to recognise May 17th as the International Day Against Homophobia.
New countries joining International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia celebrations for the first time, including countries among those which keep 1,5 BILLION people under laws that criminalize same sex relationships.
News getting in about global mobilization worldwide.
New countries joining International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia celebrations for the first time, including countries among those which keep 1,5 BILLION people under laws that criminalize same sex (...) 
The main national Costa Rican movements for diversity joined public institutions to demand equal rights on May 17, celebrated in Costa Rica as the National Day Against Homophobia, lesbophobia and Transphobia.
With a march in downtown Guadalupe, dozens of people paralyzed traffic to demand an end to homophobia and unite for equality, confronting President Laura Chinchillan who declared that human rights are not a priority of her administration.
The Ombudsman for the People, Ofelia (...) 
Faced with total and unjustified suspension of their subsidies from the State, activists used the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia as the stage to set a massive protest public action, which attracted extensive media coverage
Manas Bangla is a network of 13 community-based organisations engaged in the distribution of medical and social support to approximately 10,000 homosexual men, transgenders and Hijras in West Bengal
Faced with total and unjustified suspension of (...) 
"Through education, through campaigning and through the sheer force of moral suasion, we must strive to deliver equality for LGBT people that others have so long enjoyed and they have too long been denied." John Bercow
Kaleidoscope Trust’s President and Speaker of the UK House of Commons gave a speech on IDAHO, which was attended by the UK Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone, and other MPs and Members of the House of Lords
Read the full (...) 
As part of their youth development work, the Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA), a NGO based at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, has been mentoring young LGBT people in campaign building around issues that affect them.
As a result, students put together an exciting campaign for IDAHO, which included a silent protest at University Avenue, a flash mob and a panel discussion about campaign building.
Photos of the event can be accessed on the Facebook page of (...) 
