Canada's advisory for LGBTQ2S+ travellers heading to U.S. long overdue, says Windsor man

It's been seven years since Shaun Gereghty has crossed the land border from Windsor to Detroit — and he said past experiences in the U.S. have left him with no desire to change that anytime soon.

"My very first experience with gunfight was outside of a gay bar in Detroit," he said.

He's applauding a move from the Canadian government to issue a travel advisory for LGBTQ2S+ travellers, advising them to exercise caution when visiting the United States.

The travel advisory, which was quietly added to the federal government's website this week, reads: "Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws."

"It's not that I felt 100 per cent safe over here. But I feel comfortable over here and I feel that I'm supported over here, not only by our government, but by the majority of our people," said Gereghty, as he stood on the Canadian side of the Windsor-Detroit land border.

But for CTV's public safety analyst and former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis, the sense of caution issued to LGBTQ2S+ travellers through a travel advisory has been "overblown" by the federal government.

"It's a political thing, I believe, more than it is really truly about public safety," said Lewis. "My wife and I travel to Florida every year. Without a doubt, issues are different there. If somebody cuts you off and you honk your horn, you may be facing a whole different threat than you might be if that were to happen in Tecumseh."

But while Lewis does not diminish the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ2S+ community on a daily basis, he said those are not exclusive to the U.S.

Both he and Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, agree that local laws and potential threats, affecting people of all backgrounds, are not exclusive to one part of the world.

"There's protests around drag story time. We're seeing policies and legislation introduced by ministries of education. We can't, on one hand, say other jurisdictions are all bad when we are doing this home," said Kennedy.

But Gereghty, 44, stands firm in his position that the travel advisory for LGBTQ2S+ peoples is a good thing.

"The advisory is just something saying to mind your space, be aware of what's around you, stay close to others that are in your community and stay safe," said Gereghty.

In a statement to CTV News Windsor, Windsor-Essex Pride Fest President Wendi Nicholson said people in the LGBTQ2S+ community should continue to travel anywhere but be aware of their surroundings.

"I think the government's advisory is a little late, but I'm glad they put it out," said Nicholson.

In the past year, the U.S., which is Canada's close neighbour and ally, has seen nearly 500 bills introduced in state legislatures that advocates said negatively affect LGBTQ2S+ individuals.