Ottawa issues warning to LGBT+ travelers to US

This is an unusual recommendation for the US. The Canadian government issued a warning to members on Tuesday The LGBT+ community I want to go America About the risks they face in certain states.

Ottawa advises members of this community in specific US states to “check local laws” with reference to “laws and policies that may be affected”.

Ottawa insists the decision is not political

Published online on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, this type of warning usually targets countries that violate LGBT+ rights. RussiaI amEgypt Or evenUganda. Generally, Canadian government travel advisories consider risks related to situations of political instability or natural disasters.

Asked about it, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland insisted the decision was not political. “We have public servants in government whose role is to watch what’s going on in the world and watch for specific dangers that await specific groups of Canadians,” he said.

The Canada, a country of 40 million people, according to Statistics Canada, has one million people from the LGBT+ community. The United States is the number one destination for Canadians with 2.8 million visits in June alone.

Ottawa’s advice comes amid increasing anti-LGBT+ rhetoric in the US, targeting an avalanche of anti-transgender laws introduced by conservative politicians and boycotts of brands such as Target supermarkets that have supported LGBT+ causes. In June, the US Supreme Court authorized for the first time some businesses to exclude LGBT+ customers on religious grounds.

20 minutes with AFP