Canada has given a new warning to its LGBT citizens who want to visit the United States.
There were a lot more protests against LGBT people in the US last year than in 2017, and there is also a growing number of laws being passed that limit the rights of LGBT individuals.
Global Affairs Canada alerted people that certain laws in certain states might impact them during their journeys, but didn’t mention which states exactly.
Usually, these warnings are only given to countries like Uganda, Russia, or Egypt.
Some states have made rules that can impact people who identify as 2SLGBTQI+. The US travel advice page says to look at the laws of the state and city you are going to visit.
In Canada, the term 2SLGBTQI+ is used to describe people who identify as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, or intersex.
A representative from Global Affairs Canada mentioned that there are laws in the US that specifically affect and target transgender individuals.
“They said to CBC News that some states in the US have made laws stopping drag shows and limiting the transgender community’s ability to get gender-affirming healthcare and join in sports events since the start of 2023. ”
In March, the governor of Tennessee passed laws that made it illegal for drag shows to be performed in front of children and limited the medical treatment that transgender youth can receive.
Two months later, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis approved laws that prohibit kids from receiving transgender medical treatments or attending drag shows, and limit the use of certain pronouns in classrooms.
Many states run by conservative politicians in the US have suggested lots of similar rules about LGBT matters.
The Human Rights Campaign, which is the largest group that supports the rights of the LGBT community in the US, said in June that LGBT Americans are in a state of emergency. This is because some states are making laws that specifically aim to harm or discriminate against them.
On Monday, someone ruined a painting in Florida that was made to honor Lyra McKee, an Irish journalist who was killed in 2019. They drew a swastika and wrote mean things about LGBT people on it.
When asked why the advice had been changed, Canadian Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland said that the government asked experts to look around the world and see if there are any specific risks to certain groups of Canadians.
She said no when asked if they talked to the US government before making the change.