Foreign Office issues warning to LGBT people travelling to US states with anti-gay laws
The Foreign Office has now issued a warning to all LGBT British people about travelling to the US over the anti-gay laws in both North Carolina and Mississippi, Gay Star News reports.
They have now updated their advice on travelling to the US states to include specific LGBT guidelines, as they do with other countries including Russia and Turkey.
The Foreign Office was questioned by Gay Star News for failing to inform LGBT people about the risks of travelling to countries that were thought to be ‘progressive’ when they have standing anti-gay legislation.
North Carolina recently passed HB2, which prevents transgender people from using the bathroom which correlates to the gender they associate with, while Mississippi passed the ‘religious freedom’ law that allows businesses to discriminate against LGBT people.
The Foreign Office previously lacked any detailed information for LGBT people on travelling to the US and only had a small notice telling them to “take care” while abroad.
But today, the Foreign Office has changed their advice page and now states that “The US is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards LGBT people differ hugely across the country. LGBT travelers may be affected by legislation passed recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi.”
“Before travelling please read our general travel advice for the LGBT community. You can find more detail on LGBT issues in the US website of the Human Rights Campaign.”
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