U.S. State Department Issues Travel Advisory for International Pride Month Celebrations

If you are traveling internationally for Pride festivities next month, it’s important to take safety precautions. On Friday, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory, warning citizens who plan to attend Pride month celebrations overseas to “exercise increased caution” due to potential threats, including terrorist attacks and other acts of violence targeting Americans.

“The Department of State is aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against LGBTQI+ persons and events,” the department stated.

A spokesperson for the department did not reveal if the advisory is based on a specific event or threat but emphasized, “The U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. We take seriously our commitment to provide U.S. citizens with clear, timely, and reliable information about every country in the world so they can make informed travel decisions.”

Additionally, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a similar warning earlier this month, indicating that foreign terrorist organizations could target Pride festivities within the United States.

“FTO efforts to commit or inspire violence against holiday celebrations, including Pride celebrations or LGBTQIA+-related venues, are compounded by the current heightened threat environment in the United States and other Western countries,” the agencies stated. “FTOs and their supporters have previously promoted anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and targeted LGBTQIA+ related events or venues for attacks.”

The agencies also noted that this year marks the eighth anniversary of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. They highlighted that “after the Pulse shooting, pro-ISIS messaging praised the attack as one of the high-profile attacks in Western countries, and FTO supporters celebrated it.”