Thursday, April 21, 2016

Britain warns LGBT tourists to be wary in Miss. and N.C., especially in rural areas

Britain is warning its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents to be wary of visiting Mississippi and North Carolina, especially the states' rural areas, in response to controversial new laws, Peter Holley reports for The Washington Post. The British Foreign Office released an advisory that states: “The U.S. is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards LGBT people differ hugely across the country. LGBT travelers may be affected by legislation passed recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi. Before traveling please read our general travel advice for the LGBT community.”

Advice for LGBT Brits includes "'exercise discretion' in rural areas and avoid 'excessive physical shows of affection' in public," Holley writes. "'Some hotels,' the government also warns, 'especially in rural areas, won’t accept bookings from same sex couples—check before you go.'"

In North Carolina, House Bill 2—the controversial law passed last month—limits LGBT protections and forces transgender people to use bathrooms corresponding only with the gender on their birth certificate," Holley writes. "Mississippi's law, passed earlier this month, allows businesses to refuse services to gay couples based on religious objections."  (Read more)

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