IDAHOBIT – The international day against homophobia, biphobia, intersexism and transphobia
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 2, 28 March 2024, page 20.
The International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) is held annually on 17 May. It is a day to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community while raising awareness of the historical and continuing challenges it still faces.
Schools generally, and individual teachers, guidance officers and school leaders, can make an enormous difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ young people; especially if their home environment isn’t supportive. Even just one supportive teacher (although hopefully there’s more!) can make all the difference. As QTU Pride Committee member Jen Conje observed: “To be recognised and seen is so important to feeling accepted.”
The DoE states: “Every student is welcome in our state schools, which are a reflection of Queensland’s communities.
“Queensland state schools are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all students, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) students. The Department of Education supports state schools to respond to the individual needs of all students to ensure their wellbeing is nurtured and their learning maximised.” (https://education.qld.gov.au/students/student-health-safety-wellbeing/students-with-diverse-needs#)
Schools are encouraged to observe IDAHOBIT Day in some way. According to the IDAHOBIT 2023 Impact Report
(https://tinyurl.com/2023-idahobit-impact), last year more than 300 Australian schools participated in registered IDAHOBIT activities; and we know many schools marked the day without registering.
Schools can register and request FREE resources via https://www.minus18.org.au/products/free-lgbtqia+-resource-kit
Schools can also support IDAHOBIT by:
- acknowledging IDAHOBIT Day at assembly or in class
- displaying IDAHOBIT posters (free ones for printing are available at https://www.idahobit.org.au/resources/ and hard copy ones are included in the free to schools from the Minus18 Resources Kit link above)
- displaying safe space posters – free printables, with options for different school locations, are available from https://www.true.org.au/education/programs-resources/for-lgbtiq/safe-space-resources
- having a free dress day or encouraging students to wear rainbow socks and accessories, with fundraising possibly supporting Minus18 or another LGBTQ+ youth charity
- flying the Pride progress flag, the trans flag, or the rainbow flag
- running a facepaint or rainbow shoelace bead activity (for up to eight packs of free beads (postage charge only) see https://rainbowshoelace.com.au/
- including school activities in newsletter articles and social media posts.
If your school has a LGBTQ+ support group – get them involved! If not, can your school start one?
For more ideas, see: https://www.idahobit.org.au/guides/idahobit-at-school
Small actions teachers can take to show their support include:
- adding pronouns to their signature bar (see https://tinyurl.com/qhrc-pronouns)
- using a rainbow lanyard for their keys (the DoE makes great (FREE!) ones)
- learning more about LGBTQ+ inclusion (individual teachers can attend QuEST’s Rainbow Matters training (https://www.qtu.asn.au/QuEST/f2f), True is funded by the DoE to visit schools to provide free PD to staff (https://www.true.org.au/contact-us), and a suite of resources is available at https://www.qtu.asn.au/LGBTQplus)
Please send photos of events and activities to services@qtu.asn.au with “IDAHOBIT” in the subject line.
Do you identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community or as an ally?
If you identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, please consider updating your QTU membership to reflect this.
Allies and community members are invited to join the QTU’s Pride Action Network, a newsletter which shares and seeks information about LGBTQ+ events, advocacy, and issues.
Schools are kinder, safer places when everyone feels welcome. Don’t underestimate the impact small acts of allyship can have for your students.