Thursday marks the 2018 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT).
“Alliances for Solidarity” is the global theme for this year’s IDAHOT.
May 17 was chosen as the IDAHOT because it marked the day, in 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of International Classification of Diseases.
Before this date, it was listed as a mental illness and practices such as ‘aversion therapy’ were used to ‘cure’ homosexuality.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has released a statement marking the occasion.
In the statement, Pompeo says, "Human rights are universal, and LGBT people are entitled to the same respect, freedoms, and protections as everyone else."
The Trump administration has been accused by some human rights groups of turning a blind eye to the rights of LGBT people.
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