Why LGBTQ2 advocates are advising against travel to some U.S. states
Global News
Advocates say there are risks of travelling to states like Florida and Tennessee amid the passage of bills that are 'hostile' to members of the LGBTQ2 community.
Advocates of the LGBTQ2 community are cautioning about living in or travelling to various “hostile” U.S. states as multiple bills they call “anti-LGBTQ+” are being passed.
Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed several bills into law that would ban gender-affirming care for minors, restrict pronoun use in schools and force people to use the bathroom corresponding with their birth gender in some cases.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, about 490 bills they say are targeting the rights of the community were being tracked, though not all will necessarily pass.
As a result of the passage of such bills in Florida, Equality Florida (EF) recently took the step to issue a “travel advisory” detailing the risks of relocation or travel to the state.
“(It’s) just simply warning folks to the potential risks and discontinuation of certain freedoms they would see if they relocated to the state or even travelled here temporarily,” EF’s special projects manager, Carlos Guillermo Smith, told Global News.
The advisory specifically noted the impacts of the legislation including the ban on gender-affirming care, as well as the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill prohibiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity.
On May 23, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced it was issuing its own travel advisory.
“Those who pick another place to work, to go to school or to spend their vacation should make clear why they’re not heading to Florida,” HRC president Kelley Robinson said in a statement.