Wednesday, April 20, 2016

UK Foreign Office Issues Warning About Travel to North Carolina and Mississippi


The virulently anti-LGBT states of North Carolina and Mississippi took another hit even as North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory continues to speak out of both sides of his mouth in the wake of yesterdays 4th Circuit ruling that in effect said that bathroom bans such as the one in HB2 violate federal law. Now, the British Foreign Office has issued a travel advisory for UK citizens warning them that the two U.S. states are hostile to LGBT travelers.  Pink News looks at this latest put down of the homophobic states.  Here are highlights:
On the eve of a visit by Barack Obama, the UK government has updated its travel advice for the United States – to warn gay people about new anti-LGBT laws.
The Foreign Office updated its guidance this week in the wake of laws passed in North Carolina and Mississippi to permit discrimination based on religious belief.
The new travel advice warns: “Laws vary from state to state. When you are physically present in a state, even temporarily, you are subject to that state’s laws.
“You must carry a passport showing that you have leave to enter or remain with you at all times.
“The US is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards LGBT people differ hugely across the country.
“LGBT travellers may be affected by legislation passed recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi.
“Before travelling please read our general travel advice for the LGBT community. You can find more detail on LGBT issues in the US on the website of the Human Rights Campaign.”
The humiliation for the US comes just days before US President Barack Obama is set to visit London.

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