The native land of my maternal grandparents sent out a warning to some of its citizens to be aware of new laws that may impact them should they come to visit their nearest neighbors: US! The red, white and blue of freedom has been overtaken by red flags waving for our neighbors sporting a red maple leaf wrapped in rainbow colors. Pourquois?
The travel advisory from the Canadian government is calling attention to State laws in Florida, in particular, and other places including Oklahoma and Arkansas. These newly enacted laws restrict movement and activities of certain people and are clearly discriminatory. As a result, these particular people have suffered in the very place they call home. Would you invite a friend to your home if they, too, might be oppressed or treated with hostility, and, sadly, violence? Non, non, et non!
The Canadians needn’t have bothered because the LGBTQ community-at-large was already spreading the word that some of US, have a mindset that screams YOU are not welcome here. I wonder what my grandparents would say? I can imagine if their safety had been threatened they would not have emigrated. I, myself, would have been proud to be born in Canada, but my grandparents wanted to come for a future promise of prosperity. They gave up something back home, to be sure, but their safety was NOT one of those things. They came, they lived, they prospered in peace without any warning from their own Government to be on the alert for hostility once they crossed porous borderlands.
Whenever I travel, I check ahead with the US State Department for updates and, yes, warnings I should know about before setting out. No matter where I have gone, including to Morocco and Southeast Asia, the warnings cautioned US citizens against general threats from terrorists who target tourists. A red flag against my personal safety because of being a cisgender female has never, ever been waved in my face. Every warning issued by our own Government has been for every single one of US citizens and not aimed at a particular group or individual based on sexual orientation. Oh, Canada, let US welcome everyone of you as you always have been welcome to come just as you are. Bienvenue!
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/31/americas/canada-lgbtq-us-travel-advisory
