Following the Human Rights Campaign’s State of Emergency Declaration, the Canadian Government Has, Too, Recognized the Real Threat of Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation

by Aneesha Pappy •

The Canadian Government has Updated their United States Travel Advisory, Warning LGBTQ+ Canadian Travelers to Check State and Local Laws to Ensure their Safety While Visiting the US

WASHINGTON– Just two months after the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued a National State of Emergency in response to the unprecedented and dangerous onslaught of anti-LGBTQ laws passed across the country, the Canadian government has updated their U.S. travel policy warning LGBTQ+ Canadians about traveling to the country. In June, HRC, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, also released a guidebook designed to inform LGBTQ+ people on relevant state laws and to help them stay safe when living, working and traveling in the U.S.

When another country is affirming the state of emergency that LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. are currently living through, it only further validates the grim reality that our community is facing. These declarations are anything but theatrical. This year alone, over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures throughout the country, with over 220 of those bills specifically targeting transgender people. Over 80 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been signed into law this year, more than any year on record. We are seeing this political extremism also manifesting into real life, fatal violence. LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a crisis and it’s vital that LGBTQ+ people stay informed about the risks and realities when traveling to and throughout the U.S.”

Kelley Robinson, Human Rights Campaign President

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