Canada has updated its travel advisory to the U.S., warning LGBTQ+ Canadians that certain states have enacted laws that may impact them.
Travel advisory details: The Global Affairs department encouraged travelers to check the local laws of their U.S. destinations before traveling.
* They specifically mentioned laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender-affirming care and participation in sporting events, enacted since the start of 2023.
Reactions: The move has drawn both praise and criticism.
* Helen Kennedy, the executive director of Egale Canada, commended the Canadian government for putting out the advisory.
* However, Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, and David Mulroney, Canada’s former ambassador to China, criticized the advisory, calling it “virtue signaling.”
U.S. LGBTQ+ rights context: The Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. in June.
* The NAACP issued a travel advisory for Florida, highlighting laws like those banning gender-affirming care for minors and targeting drag shows.
* Other states such as Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee also enacted similar laws that may affect LGBTQ+ individuals.
Where it stands at home: Kennedy urged Canada to examine its own treatment of the LGBTQ+ community, pointing to recent policies in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick which now require parental consent when children under 16 years old want to use different names or pronouns at school.
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