Canadian LGBTQ+ group cancels WorldPride participation over Trump policies

Egale Canada, a major LGBTQ+ advocacy group in Canada, announced on February 6 that its members will refrain from participating in any events in the U.S., including WorldPride in Washington from May 17 to June 8, due to the policies implemented by President Donald Trump, according to ‘Washington Blade’.

The reason for not attending the U.S.A. is stated in their announcement, which led to the cancellation of their plans to be part of a Commission on the Status of Women meeting at the U.N. headquarters in New York in March, where they intended to address LGBTQ+ issues.

“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 (Organization of American States) or global convergings, including WorldPride, taking place in the United States in the foreseeable future,” the announcement states.

“This decision is primarily based on the necessity to protect our trans and nonbinary staff who may encounter uncertain treatment at land and aviation borders to attend such gatherings, and to show solidarity with international colleagues who are facing similar concerns about entering the U.S.,” the statement adds.

“It is also rooted in the unique circumstances imposed on Canadians (and citizens of other countries) regarding economic confrontation and threats to our national sovereignty,” the statement describes. “We cannot, in good conscience, engage in disentangling our organization from U.S. goods and services (as stated in our recent release) and then proceed to travel to the U.S.”

This statement from Egale Canada is noted as the first instance of an international LGBTQ+ rights organisation declaring its decision not to attend WorldPride in the U.S.A. due to the contentious policies enacted by the Trump-Vance administration, which have included rolling back support for trans people.