Celebrating the struggle against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia as central to ending HIV transmission by 2030

摘要

Sixteen years ago, Louis Georges Tin, advocate for Black andlesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights,launched an appeal for universal recognition of May 17 as theInternational Day Against Homophobia to honour the WorldHealth Organization’s decision to remove homosexuality fromtheir list of mental disorders in 1990 [1]. Over time, themovement has grown and made explicit its relevance to allpeople with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, genderexpression and sex characteristics. May 17 is now commemoratedas the International Day Against Homophobia,Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) in more than 130 countries,including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal [2].This year’s theme “Breaking the Silence” calls for an end tothe stigma and violence that drive shame, increase HIV vulnerability,and hinder access to and uptake of HIV prevention andcare services [3]. As the world grapples with the COVID-19pandemic, the novel coronavirus is highlighting existing disparitieswith disproportionate deaths among populations mademost vulnerable by structural violence and discrimination,including LGBTI people. At the same time, some state actorsare misusing emergency powers enacted to fight the pandemicto target LGBTI communities with structural and physical violence[4]. This year’s IDAHOT theme calls on us to speak outagainst this violence, not only because freedom from violence isa universal human right but also because doing so is essentialto the goal of ending HIV as a pandemic by 2030 [5,6].