Why has Canada issued a warning to its LGBT citizens planning to visit the United States?

Canada has updated its guidance for travellers going to the US.

The Canadian government has issued a warning to LGBTQ+ citizens planning to visit the United States – in a move usually reserved for countries with extreme anti-homosexuality laws.

In new official guidance issued to travellers, the government said some state laws in the US may affect LGBTQ+ travellers. The announcement comes days after a mural dedicated to Irish journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed in 2019, was defaced with a swastika and anti-LGBT graffiti.

Updated advice on its travel page for the US says: “Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws."

A man cools down spectators with his water gun as he marches in the Pride Parade in Toronto, Canada. The Canadian government has warned citizens travelling to the US that some states have passed laws which could cause issues for LGBTQ+ people.

A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada told Canadian television that some US states had passed laws targeting the transgender community.

“Since the beginning of 2023, certain states in the US have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender-affirming care and from participation in sporting events,” it said.

“The information is provided to enable travellers 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.”

Similar advice usually only applies to countries with strict anti-homosexuality laws such as Uganda, where a man is this week facing the death penalty after being charged with “aggravated homosexuality” and where gay sex is illegal – and Russia.

In the US, earlier this year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed four bills restricting LGBTQ+ laws. This included signing a Bill that will bar trans people from using public facilities that align with their gender identities and another that prohibits sexual orientation or gender identity instruction for children under eighth grade to age 14.

Meanwhile, in March, Tennessee's governor signed laws banning drag performances in front of children and restricting medical treatment for transgender youth.

Canadian deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland said the Canadian government had employed experts "to look carefully around the world and to monitor whether there are particular dangers to particular groups of Canadians".

She did not comment on questions over whether there had been discussions with the US government before the new guidance was issued.