IDAHOBIT Day a reminder of the importance of safety and belonging
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The Salvation Army in Australia marked IDAHOBIT Day with events at Headquarters in Melbourne, Divisional Headquarters (DHQ) in Adelaide and the Darwin Regional Administration Office in the Northern Territory.
Officers, employees and volunteers took part in the leadership of what was a meaningful time together.
IDAHOBIT Day, which fell on Sunday 17 May, marks the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia. The Salvation Army’s Inclusion Statement states that the movement values and includes people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and intersex status.
At the Melbourne event, Captain Kris Halliday, TSA Mission and Spirituality Engagement Coordinator presented from the Bible about the importance of non-discrimination and drew on the themes from The Way, the spiritual focus of The Salvation Army Australia for 2026.
Kris said that many might find themselves wondering whether or not they belong, and if they could bring their whole selves to their work, church or communities. He said that the Way of Jesus was not to avoid or suppress people who were different but rather to ask what we can learn as we move toward others with dignity, compassion and welcome.
“Today matters because dignity matters,” Kris said.
“Safety matters. Belonging matters.”
Amanda Brummell Lennestaal prayed for those in the LGBTQIA+SB community who have faced fear and rejection while living with courage and integrity.
“God of justice, on this International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex-phobia and Transphobia, we pray for every person who today carries the weight of being unwelcome: the young person afraid to be known, the parent grieving a child rejected, the worshipper unsure whether the altar is theirs, the colleague who hides a part of themselves at work, the one in lands where their very existence is criminalised, the one whose prayers have been whispered in the dark. May they know that they are seen by you, held by you, and beloved of you, not at the margins of your heart, but at its centre,” Amanda prayed.
The Salvation Army is committed to inclusion, valuing, respecting and welcoming all into our expressions.
