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The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) was established in 2004 to draw attention to discussions, events, and projects concerning gay, lesbian and transgendered rights. The date itself, May 17th, marks the World Health Organization's decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder. In Canada, the development of rights for LGBTQ citizens is intrinsically associated with the publication of newspapers and magazines fighting homophobia and discrimination.

The Fisher Library holds a selection of periodicals and other printed materials pertaining to LGBTQ activism as well as primary sources for the study of sexual diversity in Canada. The Body Politic, ranked as the 17th most influential magazine in Canadian publishing history by Masthead, along with publications like Xtra, Centre/Fold, After Stonewall, and Sightlines, constitute a portion of our collections of Canadian gay and lesbian periodicals.

We celebrate IDAHO by sharing some images of these periodicals from our collection.