International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia 2026

At the heart of democracy

May 17 2026

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) was created in 2004 and observed annually on 17 May to commemorate the 1990 decision by the World Health Organization to remove homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases. Since then, it has expanded into a day to draw attention to the violence and discrimination still experienced by 2SLGBTQIA+ people around the world.

The theme for IDAHOBIT 2026 is “at the heart of democracy” which serves as a reminder that truly democratic societies must be grounded in justice and freedom for all. However, Canada’s financial priorities don’t reflect that reality.

Under the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act, the federal government must consider how taxation and resource allocation decisions may impact diverse groups and affect social inequalities. The publication of this analysis ensures proper transparency and accountability for government spending.

According to the federal government’s own analysis of the 155 measures proposed in the 2025 Budget, 25% will specifically benefit men, with only 4.5% of the budget catered specifically to women. There is a lack of information on how non-binary and gender-diverse people will benefit from budget measures as the budget only categorizes gendered impact based on men, women, and a catch-all 2SLGBTQI+.

As part of the pre-budget announcement on Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) funding—funding that feminist and 2SLGBTQIA+ activists and organizations fought to protect—$54.6 million over five years has been designated to support the 2SLGBTQI+ community sector which includes $7.5 million over five years for Pride Security.

This amounts to $9.4 million annually and $1.5 million annually, respectively. This is significantly less than what has been provided in past budgets. There is also no mention of any measures to combat rising transphobia—transphobia that is rising rapidly in part due to anti-transgender legislation in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is proud to stand as an ally with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. We will continue to support 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations like Queer Momentum and Egale Canada, 2SLGBTQIA+ members, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people across Canada. We encourage members to use the following list for actions they can take as individuals: