Canada has rated its global travel advisory to warn LGBTQ+ people that they may experience discrimination when traveling to certain locations in the United States.
The measure came later At least eighteen U.S. states have passed laws restricting or prohibiting activities important to the community, such as providing gender-affirming medical care to children and educating them about sexual orientation.
Canada’s American warning does not state which states or which of their laws or customs are of interest, in contrast to similar warnings for a number of other countries, such as Tanzania or Egypt. It simply advises travelers to check the local regulations at their destination before departure.
The government provides some links to tools and resources that can help you learn about relevant regulations around the world on a more general page on recommendations for LGBTQ+ travelers abroad.
“Consider carefully whether you are comfortable visiting a destination where the laws and social customs that affect (LGBTQ+) people differ from those in Canada,” the government warns.
Several civil rights organizations, including the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign, a US-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group, issued their own travel warnings for Florida in May. That followed restrictions on drag shows, the use of restrooms and the use of preferred pronouns in schools signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, who is vying for the Republican presidential nomination.
In addition, teachers in Florida are now required to instruct students that sex is “an unchanging biological property” and that they may only refer to people by their pronouns, as shown on their birth certificates. The “Don’t Say Gay” measure, as opponents have dubbed the law, also prohibits teaching gender identity or sexual orientation until high school.
The organizations said they would not avoid Florida at all costs. But they said people who do choose to visit the country should seize the opportunity to protest the laws, and if they don’t, they should be clear about their reasons.
The general page for LGBTQ+ travelers in Canada reports that they can be discriminated against in some places if they use an X instead of gender in their passport.
When asked about the change, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday that Global Affairs Canada’s travel warnings are based on the opinion of experts charged with looking out for specific threats.
The relationship with the United States is one of the most important for the government, she said, but declined to elaborate on whether liberals had discussed the issue with US President Biden.
“We are able to manage that relationship regardless of the choice the people of the United States make,” Freeland said.
“Even as we work hard on that relationship between governments, every Canadian government, including our government, must put the best interests and safety of every Canadian and every group of Canadians first. .”
U.S. Ambassador David Cohen did not comment specifically on the recent travel warning in a written statement, but he did note that his country did “stands for equality and equal treatment for everyone”
“The United States is committed to advancing tolerance, inclusion, justice and dignity while helping to advance equality for the LGBTQI+ community,” he wrote.
“We must all continue to do this work with our like-minded partners, not just in the United States, not just Canada, but around the world.”
