A Call from LGBTIQA+ Young People
By Chloe Clements, Manager, Youth Pride Network
On 17 May, we mark IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. It recognises the World Health Organization’s 1990 decision to remove homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases.
That moment should have been clear. LGBTIQA+ people are not disordered. We are not problems to be fixed. We are entitled to dignity, safety, and inclusion.
More than 30 years on, that promise is still not fully realised, especially for LGBTIQA+ young people.
Across Western Australia, we keep hearing the same message:
“I just want to feel safe.”
At school. In healthcare. Online. In public. Everywhere.
For many young people, safety is not a given. It is something they constantly calculate.
Is it safe to speak up?
Is it safe to be visible?
Is it safe to tell the truth about who I am?
These are everyday decisions that shape how young people move through the world.
When safety is missing, everything is affected. Young people withdraw from school, avoid care, and hide who they are to protect themselves. This has real impacts on mental health, wellbeing, and access to support.
And this is not limited to one space. Harm shows up in schools, services, and online. Even spaces designed to be safe can be targeted. The reality is that safety is still conditional. It should not be.
This is not just about individuals. It is about systems. Inconsistent responses to discrimination, gaps in legal protections, and a lack of accountability all send a message that safety for LGBTIQA+ young people is optional.
Young people are not asking for anything extreme. They are asking for what should already exist.
To be safe.
To be respected.
To belong.
As part of our IDAHOBIT 2026 campaign, Youth Pride Network is calling for stronger protections, reform of the Equal Opportunity Act, a ban on conversion practices, and clear, consistent responses when harm occurs.
These are practical changes that would shape whether young people feel safe going to school, seeing a doctor, or existing in public spaces.
This is about health, not just inclusion. When safety is missing, inequality grows.
IDAHOBIT is often framed as a reflection on progress. But for many young people in WA, the message is immediate:
I just want to feel safe.
Not eventually. Not in theory.
Now.
In the lead up and on May 17, we ask you as our supporters and allies to join the conversation, share your support and help amplify our voices.
1. Add your voice to the Rainbow Futures Letter Campaign and call on your local member for safer WA communities!
2. Download our media pack, graphics, profile images and email signatures to stand in solidarity with the LGBTIQA+ community in WA in the lead up to IDAHOBIT 2026.
