One of Canada’s Largest LGBTQ+ Groups Will No Longer Come to U.S. Events Due to Trump Attacks
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Egale Canada, one of Canada’s largest LGBTQ+ organizations, has announced that it will not attend any in-person U.S. events for the foreseeable future in response to the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies, including key gatherings at the United Nations and the forthcoming World Pride celebration.
In a February 6 statement shared to Egale’s website, the group explained that it had previously been registered to attend the 69th annual Commission on the Status of Women at the New York-based U.N. Headquarters from March 10 to 21. However, the organization ultimately decided against attending the commission as it has in the past, as well as any other global events based within the U.S. This includes the 50th annual World Pride, a series of international LGBTQ+ Pride events that will be held this year in Washington, D.C.
“This decision is foremost based on the need to safeguard our trans and nonbinary staff who would face questionable treatment at land and aviation borders to attend such convenings, and to stand in solidarity with global colleagues who are experiencing similar fear around entry to the U.S.,” the statement reads.
In response to Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order defining gender as male or female assigned at birth, the State Department stopped issuing U.S. passports with “X” gender markers and reportedly suspended processing all applications from Americans seeking to update their passports with a new gender marker. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has eliminated references to transgender travelers from its travel advisories. The department’s International Travel tab now has a section titled “LGB Travelers,” rather than “LGBTQI+ Travelers.”
Eagle added that its decision was also made based on “the unique situation that has been thrust on Canadians (and citizens of other countries) regarding economic warfare and threats to our national sovereignty.”
Earlier this month, Trump took executive action to threaten new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, saying that he would place a 25% import tax on all Canadian steel and aluminum products entering the U.S. from March 12 onward. Trump has expressed a desire to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, although his national security adviser Mike Waltz insisted to NBC News on February 9 that he doesn’t think the president has “any plans to invade Canada.”
“We cannot in good conscience engage in a process of disentangling our organization from U.S. goods and services… and then proceed to travel to the U.S.,” Egale’s statement continued. “We will continue to work with civil society and government colleagues to ensure the best possible outcomes are achieved in these global spaces and continue to find ways to support our international partners during these trying times.”
According to the Washington Blade, Egale’s statement may be the first time that an international LGBTQ+ organization has declined to attend World Pride and other U.S. events due to the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ+ attacks.
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