LGBTQ+ communities, allies and supporters gathered in Brighton yesterday to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).
The event brought together campaigners, community organisations and artists to reflect on this year’s global theme, “At the heart of democracy”, which highlights the idea that LGBTQ+ equality, safety and dignity are fundamental democratic values rather than optional freedoms.
Speakers addressed a wide range of issues affecting LGBTQ+ people locally and nationally, from trans rights and HIV support to ageing, disability and workplace inclusion.
Among those speaking was Cass Hoskins, trustee and brand director of Trans Pride Brighton, the UK’s first and largest Trans Pride event outside North America. Gary Pargeter, founder and service manager of grassroots HIV charity Lunch Positive, spoke about the importance of food, friendship and peer support for people living with HIV in Brighton & Hove.
Leslie Clarke, chief executive of Pride Community Foundation and publisher of Scene Magazine, reflected on the role of LGBTQ+ media and community organisations in protecting hard‑won rights. Natalie Collins, a long‑standing member of Older and Out, spoke about visibility, connection and community for older LGBTQ+ people.
Activist Gina Keegan addressed the intersections of queer and disabled identities, examining how systems of power shape experiences of gender and disability. Eric Page, a local government officer at Brighton & Hove City Council, spoke about workplace inclusion and the work of the council’s LGBTQ+ Workers' Forum, which represents LGBTQ+ council employees. Poet Alice Denny also performed during the event.
Music was provided by Rainbow Chorus, Brighton & Hove’s largest LGBTQ+ community choir, which has celebrated diversity through song since 1997, alongside Drum and Blaze, a local community drumming group that brought rhythm and energy to the gathering.
Organisers said the event was both a celebration of the city’s diverse LGBTQ+ communities and a reminder that progress cannot be taken for granted, particularly amid rising hostility towards LGBTQ+ people in parts of the UK and abroad.
IDAHOBIT is marked globally each year on 17 May, commemorating the removal of homosexuality from the World Health Organisation’s list of mental disorders in 1990.
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