IDAHO and the Colonial Limits of “Inclusion”

The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), observed on May 17, commemorates the World Health Organization's 1990 decision to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. While significant for the West, the article argues that for many non-Western societies, the narrative is more complex, revealing the continuing colonial influence on global LGBTIQ discourse. It highlights how Western identity categories often overshadow diverse pre-colonial gender and sexual traditions from Asia, Africa, and Indigenous cultures, suggesting a need for a decolonized global queer politics that respects diverse epistemologies and cultural understandings.