Canada’s travel advisory for visitors to the United States has been updated to warn LGBTQ travelers about laws and policies that may affect the community.
“Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons,” the travel advisory states. “Check relevant state and local laws.”
The ‘2S’ abbreviation refers to Two-Spirit, a term used in Indigenous and First Nations communities to describe people who are not straight or cisgender.
The travel advisory page links to a separate page of travel advice for LGBTQ residents, encouraging them to research and follow the laws of the country they are visiting, “even if these laws infringe on your human rights.”
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland addressed the new travel advisory Tuesday, backing the decision of Global Affairs Canada, which oversees such advisories.
“Every Canadian government, very much including our government, needs to put at the center of everything we do the interests and the safety of every single Canadian and of every single group of Canadians,” Freeland told reporters in a press conference.
She continued, “That’s what we’re doing now, that’s what we’re always going to do.”
A participant carries a placard during the Vancouver Pride Parade, Aug. 06, 2023 in Vancouver, Canada.
Andrew Chin/Getty Images, FILE
The U.S. has seen a rise in legislation targeting the LGBTQ community in recent years. Bills have increasingly targeted transgender health care, inclusion of LGBTQ identities in classroom content, public drag performances, and more.
According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures in 2023, with at least 70 being enacted.
The HRC, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations, in June declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. The organization cited what they described as the record-breaking wave of legislation targeting the LGBTQ community and an increasingly hostile environment.
Ahead of Pride Month, celebrated in June, the Department of Homeland Security in May also warned law enforcement and government agencies about “intensified” threats of violence against the community within the previous year.
According to DHS, about 20% of all hate crimes reported throughout the country in 2021 were motivated by bias linked to sexual orientation and gender, citing the FBI’s hate crime statistics.
“The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived — they are real, tangible and dangerous,” Kelley Robinson, the president of HRC, said in a statement.
She continued, “In many cases they are resulting in violence against LGBTQ+ people, forcing families to uproot their lives and flee their homes in search of safer states, and triggering a tidal wave of increased homophobia and transphobia that puts the safety of each and every one of us at risk.”
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
