World News
Canada issues warning for LGBTQ travelers in the United States
Canada's Travel advisory for visitors to the United States has been updated to warn LGBTQ Travelers about laws and policies that may affect the community.
"Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons," the Travel advisory states. "Check relevant state and local laws."
The '2S' abbreviation refers to Two-Spirit, a term used in Indigenous and First Nations communities to describe people who are not straight or cisgender.
The Travel advisory page links to a separate page of Travel advice for LGBTQ residents, encouraging them to research and follow the laws of the country they are visiting, "even if these laws infringe on your human rights."
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland addressed the new Travel advisory Tuesday, backing the decision of Global Affairs Canada, which oversees such advisories.
"Every Canadian government, very much including our government, needs to put at the center of everything we do the interests and the safety of every single Canadian and of every single group of Canadians," Freeland told reporters in a press conference.
She continued, "That's what we're doing now, that's what we're always going to do."
The U.S. has seen a rise in legislation targeting the LGBTQ community in recent years. Bills have increasingly targeted transgender Health care, inclusion of LGBTQ identities in classroom content, public drag performances, and more.
According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures in 2023, with at least 70 being enacted.
MORE: Killing, harassment spotlight transphobia's impact on all people: advocates
The HRC, one of the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations, in June declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. The organization cited what they described as the record-breaking wave of legislation targeting the LGBTQ community and an increasingly hostile environment.
Ahead of Pride Month, celebrated in June, the Department of Homeland Security in May also warned law enforcement and government agencies about "intensified" threats of violence against the community within the previous year.
MORE: California sues school district over transgender 'outing' policy
According to DHS, about 20% of all hate crimes reported throughout the country in 2021 were motivated by bias linked to sexual orientation and gender, citing the FBI's hate crime statistics.
"The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived — they are real, tangible and dangerous," Kelley Robinson, the president of HRC, said in a statement.
She continued, "In many cases they are resulting in violence against LGBTQ+ people, forcing families to uproot their lives and flee their homes in search of safer states, and triggering a tidal wave of increased homophobia and transphobia that puts the safety of each and every one of us at risk."
-
World News16m ago
Drones Strike Moscow as Top U.K. Official Highlights Russian Casualties in Ukraine
-
World News5h ago
Kate Middleton Attends Remembrance Sunday Ceremony as She Slowly Returns to Duty
-
World News5h ago
Prince William Describes Family’s ‘Brutal’ Year as Wife and Father Faced Cancer Treatment
-
World News16h ago
Officials Condemn Protesters’ ‘Antisemitic Attacks’ on Israeli Soccer Fans in Amsterdam
-
World News2d ago
50 European Leaders Assess How Trump Will Affect Their Fortunes
-
World News3d ago
What Trump’s Win Means for the World
-
World News3d ago
A Week After Spain’s Catastrophic Floods, Families Hold Out Hope That Loved Ones Are Not Among the Dead
-
World News3d ago
North Korean Troops in Russia Are Shelled by Ukrainian Forces, an Official Says