IDAHOBIT 2025: The LGBTQ+ Communities Providing A Lifeline For Queer Folk In The UK

Even though the name might be a bit of a mouthful, IDAHOBIT (or the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia) is an important event in the LGBTQ+ calendar. Not only does IDAHOBIT 2025 raise awareness about the discrimination faced by queer communities around the world, but its May 17th date marks the World Health Organisation's decision to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1990.

To celebrate this year’s IDAHOBIT theme “The Power of Communities,” we’re highlighting some of the amazing groups in the UK supporting LGBTQIA+ folk up and down the country. After all, in a world that feels increasingly more divided, communities like these are essential for us all to come together. 

Established in the 1980s, George House Trust quickly became a pillar of the community for those living with HIV. As well as providing advice and information about the condition, the organisation has a peer mentoring scheme that matches folk with HIV in Greater Manchester or Liverpool with a trained volunteer who’s also living with the condition.

This shared community plays a crucial role in empowering people to live confidently with HIV by not just helping them come to terms with a new diagnosis but also allowing them to meet other HIV-positive folk – something that remains difficult in a world that still attaches a stigma to the condition.

Britain’s longest-running social group for those who identify as bisexual (as well as anyone who thinks they might be bi-curious), BiPhoria is a community that’s long been a part of Manchester’s rich LGBTQ+ tapestry.

Their monthly Zoom meet offers a social-support space for bisexual people in Manchester and North West England where members discuss their experiences of being bi and of biphobia. These online meetings are beginner-friendly, with a separate “new members space” at the beginning of the call for those new to the community. 

With a jam-packed timetable offering everything from LGBTQ+ ballet to community meditation, it’s hard to imagine when the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre didn’t exist. But this queer space was initially created as a pop-up to provide solace and comfort for LGBTQ+ Londoners during lockdown.

This community space offers various events, talks, workshops and services in tandem with some of the amazing LGBTQ+ service providers in London. It’s also home to 50+ meetup groups including trans socials, LGBTQ+ language exchanges and gatherings for queer refugees. There’s even a cafe! 

Volunteer-led social group Rainbow Noir , was founded by four black queer women in Manchester to create a safe space for Lesbian, Gay , Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex People of Colour (LGBTQI PoC). Since 2013, this community has become a lifeline for LGBTQI people of colour in the city and a place to meet like-minded people.

Rainbow Noir’s community meet-ups happen monthly, and include everything from relaxed social nights with tabletop games and swap shops, to activity evenings like dumpling making and a communal meal. In between meets, there’s also a WhatsApp community chat for keeping in touch. 

As the longest-established transgender support group in the UK, The Beaumont Society is a pivotal community for trans+ folk up and down the country . Since 1966, the support network has helped connect transgender individuals by offering a safe space for members to share experiences and find camaraderie with others.

The organisation is funded by donation and membership subscriptions, and members get a quarterly copy of The Beaumont magazine which acts as a lifeline for those who can’t join the Society’s social groups. Peer support groups also help members connect with others who understand what they’re going through – whatever stage of their journey they’re at.

The Lesbian Immigration Support Group LISG , provides lesbian and bisexual refugees and asylum seekers in Greater Manchester with a safe space to express their identity without fear . This community is vital for lesbian and bisexual asylum seekers who often face dangers from homophobia in other refugee communities.

LISG’s network of volunteers support women seeking asylum from across the world, while regular community get-togethers in Manchester provide a space where queer refugees can catch up and support each other as they rebuild their lives in the UK.

Like everything in the world, these incredible LGBTQ+ groups wouldn’t be here without the communities that came before them, such as:

In 1985, members of the Gay Black Group established this London community centre as a direct response to the "overwhelming whiteness" within the mainstream LGBTQ+ scene . This included addressing the challenges faced by individuals coming out to families who mistakenly viewed homosexuality as solely a "white" issue.

The Black Lesbian and Gay Centre (BLGC) became a vital resource for this community, offering services such as a telephone helpline, counselling and a magazine that provided a platform for the numerous black gay and lesbian groups emerging in London. It also served as a hub for events and social gatherings for queer people of colour in the city.

The significance of the centre to London's queer community is highlighted in the 2014 documentary Under Your Nose. In 2024, its legacy was further recognised with the unveiling of a commemorative rainbow plaque.

The Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) community formed one of the most significant support networks for the National Union of Mineworkers during their year-long strike in the mid-80s. This powerful alliance saw lesbians and gay men stand in solidarity with the miners against Margaret Thatcher's plans to close the coal pits.

By 1985, eleven LGSM groups had emerged across the UK. The founding London group famously used their fundraising efforts to purchase a white minibus for the miners to use for campaign speeches, collecting donations from gay pubs and outside the Gay's The Word bookshop in the city.

Although the LGSM initially disbanded after the end of the strike, they later reformed as ‘Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners Again’ (LGSMA) following further pit closure announcements in 1992. The 2014 film Pride, which dramatised the London group's partnership with the Welsh mining village of Onllwyn, led to the group reforming once more, driven by modern interest in their incredible story.

In a world where LGBTQ+ individuals often feel like outsiders, communities are safe spaces where there is complete freedom to be your most authentic self . For anyone who has been pushed out or rejected by their family because they are queer, being surrounded by others like you can be life-changing. After all, chosen families are real families.

On top of providing validation, support and a sense of belonging, communities provide collective solidarity – one of the most powerful things of all. The Stonewall Riots, which united the LGBTQ+ community and placed queer liberation front and centre, served as a powerful demonstration of how community can drive change.

Even though there is still so much to achieve, particularly with queer liberation in underdeveloped countries and for LGBTQI PoC folk, one thing is blazingly clear – we are so much stronger together.