May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, or IDAHOT.
 
Why should we care about IDAHOT? Because sexual orientation and gender identity [2], or SOGI, matters.
 
Here are three things we need to know about SOGI: [3]
 
First, SOGI inclusion is about zero discrimination [4]. 
 
Despite some legal and social progress in the past two decades, LGBTI people continue to face widespread discrimination [5] and violence in many countries. Sometimes, being LGBTI is even a matter of life and death. They may be your friends, your family, your classmates, or your coworkers.

Second, it’s about fighting exclusion.
 
Where there is discrimination, there is exclusion. As a result, many LGBTI people suffer [6] lower educational attainment, higher unemployment rate, and a lack of access to adequate housing, health, and financial services.
 
Third, it’s about ending poverty.
 
Due to discrimination and exclusion, LGBTI people are likely overrepresented in the bottom 40% of the population [7]. In other words, they’re more likely to be poor.
 
A major barrier to tackling LGBTI exclusion and poverty is the lack of data [8] on the lives of LGBTI people. At the World Bank, we’re working with countries and partner organizations to fill the data gap and improve LGBTI livelihoods. [9]


IDAHOT does not stop on May 17. As discussed in the “Inclusion Matters [10]” report and during the 2017 World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings [11], social inclusion [12] is essential for eradicating poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Looking ahead, we must ensure that SOGI and LGBTI issues are included across all areas of development work. [13]

Do you have a story on why #InclusionMatters [16]? Share it with us in a comment. Learn more about the World Bank’s work on SOGI inclusion here [2].
 
Related:

• Event page: IDAHOT 2017: International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia [17]
• Video blog: To fight discrimination, we need to fill the LGBTI data gap [8]
• Blog post: LGBTI in Thailand: New data paves way for more inclusion [18]
• Blog post: Social inclusion essential for eradicating poverty [11]
• Brief: World Bank on Social Inclusion [12]
• Publication: Investing in a Research Revolution for LGBTI Inclusion [19]
• Publication: Inclusion Matters: The Foundation of Shared Prosperity [10]