For the first time in the UN Agency’s History, discriminations on the ground of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity were denounced at Director General level.
In a short but powerful speech, current Director General Irina Bokova voiced the Organisation’s conviction that "Discrimination can find roots sometimes in the fabric of societies, within cultural behaviours and customs. At UNESCO, it is our responsibility to examine and understand such roots and it is our duty to declare that traditional values or cultural diversity can never serve as an excuse to infringe upon human rights, nor to limit their scope.".
Read the full statement
In connection with the Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on States to tackle violence against LGBT people, decriminalize consensual same-sex relationships, ban discrimination and educate the public
From UN press-room
In connection with the Day, a UN spokesperson said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on States to tackle violence against LGBT people, decriminalize consensual same-sex relationships, ban discrimination and educate the public – and he “supports the High (...) 
INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA
MESSAGE BY UNDP ADMINISTRATOR, HELEN CLARK
17 MAY 2012
Today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). It commemorates the World Health Organisation’s decision in 1990 to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders. That was indeed a milestone, and since then there has been much progress. Last year, the Human Rights Council passed their first resolution ever on “Human rights, sexual orientation (...) 
From Pan American Health Organisation
Washington, D.C., 17 May 2012 (PAHO/WHO) — Services that purport to "cure" people with non-heterosexual sexual orientation lack medical justification and represent a serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said in a position statement launched on 17 May, the International Day against Homophobia. The statement calls on governments, academic institutions, professional associations and the (...) 
During a round table discussion in New York on Dec 8th, 2011, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon affirmed that homophobic bullying of young people constitutes a “grave violation of human rights,” and urged States to take the necessary measures to protect their citizens from violence and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
From UN report:
“Bullying of this kind is not restricted to a few countries but goes on in schools and local communities in all parts of (...) 
