The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia first took place on May 17, 2005, in commemoration of the World Health Organization’s decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental order.

Joel Bedos, director of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, pointed out to the Washington Blade this year’s theme — “Solidarity and Alliances” — “underlines how intricate the struggles of LGBTI people are with other social struggles.”

“Our opponents spend a lot of energy dividing us and singling each social struggle out as ‘particular,'” said Bedos. “But the reality is that all progressive struggles are connected and we have to increase our collective awareness of this.”

“We have seen repeatedly in the past that sexual and gender minorities act like canaries in the coal mine and that crackdowns on them signal wider crackdowns to come on democracy, civil society spaces, freedom of speech, women’s rights, etc.,” added Bedos.

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia Latin America and Caribbean Outreach and Communications Officer Mariano Ruiz told the Blade on Friday in an email from Buenos Aires “the focus of the day on solidarity and alliances can create a valuable opportunity for all of us to reach out to our current partners to reinforce our bond.” Ruiz added this year’s events also allow LGBTI activists around the world “to reach out to new partners to raise awareness of our commonalities and to engage in collective action around the day.”

“No battle can be won in isolation,” Ruiz told the Blade. Read more via Washington Blade