Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The Washington Blade reports:
Egale Canada, one of Canada’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organizations, announced in a Feb. 6 statement that its members will not be attending any events in the U.S., including WorldPride set to take place in Washington from May 17-June 8, because of policies put in place by President Donald Trump.
The Egale Canada statement marks the first known time that an international LGBTQ rights organization has declared it will not come to the U.S. to attend WorldPride because of the controversial policies adopted by the Trump-Vance administration, which so far have included a roll back of programs and policies in support of transgender people.
Read the full article.
In its statement, Egale Canada cites potential risks to its trans and nonbinary members at the hands of US border agents at “land crossings and airports.”
The group will also not attend next month’s meeting at the United Nations on women’s rights or any other event held in the US.
WorldPride is coordinated by the international consortium of Pride groups, InterPride, and is held every two years, most recently in Sydney in 2023.
WorldPride 2019 was hosted by New York City to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and drew over five million attendees.
1/ Egale Canada was registered to attend the upcoming Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations Headquarters in New York next month. As a regular attendee of this commission, we had looked forward to engaging in important and essential conversations
— Egale Canada (@egalecanada.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
2/ relevant to 2SLGBTQI inclusion on a national and global level.
After deep consideration, we have decided not to engage in-person in this year’s Commission on the Status of Women or any other UN, OAS or global convenings, including World Pride, taking place in the United States
— Egale Canada (@egalecanada.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
3/ in the foreseeable future.
This decision is foremost based on the need to safeguard our trans and non-binary 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
— Egale Canada (@egalecanada.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
4/ around entry to the U.S.
It is also founded in the unique situation that has been thrust on Canadians (and citizens of other countries) regarding economic warfare and threats to our national sovereignty.
— Egale Canada (@egalecanada.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
5/ We cannot in good conscience, engage in a process of disentangling our organization from U.S. goods and services (as we have recently released in a statement) and then proceed to travel to the U.S.
— Egale Canada (@egalecanada.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
6/ 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.
— Egale Canada (@egalecanada.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM