(DCWatchdog.com) – With Pride Month events around the corner, the State Department has issued a travel advisory for Americans traveling abroad during June, highlighting an increased risk of terrorist violence.
This warning urged U.S. citizens to remain vigilant in tourist areas and locations frequented by the LGBTQ+ community, though it stops short of discouraging travel or pointing to specific threats.
According to a U.S. official speaking under the condition of anonymity, this advisory was shared with all Americans registered with the State Department abroad.
The alert was released in conjunction with Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recognition of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia.
Blinken said in a statement:
“Even as more countries make meaningful advancements towards full equality, LGBTQI+ persons continue to be sentenced to death for daring to live their sexual orientation or gender identity, subjected to coercive conversion ‘therapies’ and ‘normalization’ surgeries, discriminated against while receiving health services, restricted from exercising fundamental freedoms, and denied the dignity of same-sex partnership and fulfillment of family.”
Moreover, this alert from the State Department follows a joint public service the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a week earlier, also warning of potential terrorist threats against LGBTQ+ events and venues without specifying details or locations.
This year, the spotlight on safety is particularly pointed, given the alarming increase in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the U.S.
In addition, the ACLU reported that over 500 such bills have been introduced in 2023 alone while the Human Rights Campaign has responded by declaring a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals, reflecting the severe impact of these legislative efforts.
U.S. State Department issues worldwide travel alert, warns of terror threat against LGBT events pic.twitter.com/dXRaNMhtuG
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