THUNDER BAY — Canadians are being advised by Global Affairs Canada to travel cautiously if heading across the U.S. border, especially if they are part of the 2SLGBTQI+ (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex) community.
The advisory warns of going to various states and to be informed on local policies, as not all laws enacted are equal across all states in America.
Currently, in Minnesota, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) is tracking 10 anti-LGBTQ laws, including classifying drag shows as adult entertainment, targeting doctors who perform certain treatments on minors affirming the gender the patient identifies with, as well as therapies.
For those travelling to the United States, a map from the Movement Advancement Project outlines current LGBTQ policies across the 50 US states.
According to Statistics Canada, there are an estimated one million people in Canada who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or of another sexual orientation than heterosexual.
This represents four per cent of the Canadian population that is 15 years and older. It's further outlined that approximately 52 per cent are women, 44 per cent are men, and three per cent are non-binary.
