Canada Warns LGBTQ Residents Traveling to the US

Canada warned LGBTQ residents traveling to the United States of the risks they might encounter because of new laws in several states.

In its updated advisory, it says “Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws.” “2SLGBTQI+” is the term used by Canada, with “2S” referring to Two-Spirit. Canada described it as a person believed to have “both male and the female spirits within them.”

Global Affairs Canada said that “Since the beginning of 2023, certain states in the U.S. have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender affirming care and from participation in sporting events.”

The broader advice tackled things to watch out for such as laws that criminalize same-sex activities and relationships. The advisory, however, didn’t indicate specific states.

The advice said that “Foreign laws and customs related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) can be very different from those in Canada. As a result, you could face certain barriers and risks when you travel outside Canada.”

Is It Dangerous for LGBTQ Individuals to Travel to the US?

In June, Human Rights Campaign, the biggest US-based LGBTQ civil rights organization, declared a national state of emergency for members of the LGBTQ community.

Its president Kelley Robinson said, “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.”

Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, when asked about the updated advice, said that the Canadian government has experts who “monitor whether there are particular dangers to particular groups of Canadians.”

There are more than 20 million Canadians traveling to the US every year. And also, there are around one million people in Canada who identify themselves as members of the LGBTQ community.