Friday, May 17th is the annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. This global day of action was founded in 2005 to address homophobia and 
transphobia on a worldwide scale and urge politicians and communities throughout the world address the needs of LGBT people. The date of May 17th was chosen to commemorate the 1990 decision by the World Health Organization to take homosexuality off of its list of mental disorders. Events will take place in roughly 90 countries around the world, from Turkey to Nigeria to Mongolia to Brazil and will take many different forms. A complete list of participating countries and registered events can be found on their website. These events are known collectively as the Global Rainbow Flashmob.
In Estonia, a theater group is putting on a play that will bring the topic of sexual orientation to the discussion. Russian activists are planning to hold a mourning action for a gay man who was recently murdered in Volgograd. The Dutch government is going to host an International Conference to "promote the emancipation of LGBT people." An online magazine is calling on Arab citizens to address the issue of homophobia. Obviously the actions throughout the world are as varied as the countries participating.
There are events planned throughout the United States as well. There will be a screening of the film God Loves Uganda at Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC, after which there will be a panel. The Utah Pride center is hosting a photography exhibit about Latin American Trans youth. Act Up Idaho is giving a screening of Stonewall Uprising followed by a panel and there will be a day of remembrance in Pocatello, Idaho. More events can be found on the IDAHO Facebook page.
TAKE ACTION
The I.D.A.H.O website has many suggestions for actions to take. Change your profile picture to one of their images. When you tweet, use the hash tag #may17IDAHO.