Travel Advisory Issued By Canada For LGBTQ+ Citizens
Canada has issued an official travel advisory to its LGBTQ+ citizens warning against travel to some states in the United States. As the number of states passing laws endangering LGBTQ+ rights rises, including restricting gender-affirming care for minors, as well as teaching school-aged children about gender and sexuality to name a few, safety for LGBTQ+ people traveling to those regions is now in question.
LGBTQ+ Canadians are not being officially advised to carefully consider the state and local laws in each region of the United States before traveling, ensuring they understand all possible legal and safety issues that could arise in such regions.
The official travel advisory states, “While you are travelling outside Canada, you are subject to, and must follow, the local laws of your destination country, even if these laws infringe on your human rights. Not all countries have the same values and legal system that we have in Canada. As a result, it is important for you to be informed about the legal framework and social customs governing sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics in your destination country.”
A spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) told CBC News 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 information is provided to enable travelers to make their own informed decisions regarding destinations. Outside Canada, laws and customs related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics can be very different from those in Canada.”
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland explained at a press conference, “As someone who has had the real privilege of serving as Canada’s foreign minister, I know that our travel advisories are done very professionally… we have professionals in the government whose job is to look carefully around the world and to monitor whether there are particular dangers to particular groups of Canadians. That’s their job and it’s the right thing to do.”
The travel advisory did not specifically name any states or regions in the United States but urges all traveling to the country to carefully research any destination they may be considering visiting. Watch this space as information on this advisory updates.
