#IDAHOBIT

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) is on 17^th and is a yearly stand against oppression of minority genders and sexualities. It is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ communities and the diversity within them, and a commitment to oppose the hate that sadly so many of us still experience today. 2020 marked 30 years since the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.

At Touchstone we want people to feel like they can be wholly and authentically themselves; however they’re involved with the organisation. We recognise that just saying that is not enough to make sure everyone feels welcome and safe, so we’re committed to building inclusion into the company through policies that address discrimination and harassment against LGBT+ people, and by marking events such as IDAHOBIT, Lesbian Visibility Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and more. If you have any feedback of how Touchstone could do more for LGBTQIA+ people we would really value your input.

We are curating an online gallery where staff, service users and volunteers can showcase their creative work in response to #IDAHOBIT. Some prompts you might want to consider are the themes of freedom, authenticity, and of “coming out” when so many of us are stuck inside. What does that mean to you? We’d love to see your responses in the form of art, music, poetry, or whatever you want to create! Please email submissions to office@touchstonesupport.org.uk with the subject line “IDAHOBIT”