The African Human Rights Coalition (AHRC) has become the latest international organisation to call for a boycott of World Pride, which is set to take place in Washington DC from 17 May to 8 June. This call comes in light of the current political climate in the United States, described by the AHRC as a “Hitleresque” regime under Donald Trump, which they claim poses significant risks to LGBTQ+ individuals from abroad.

In a press release dated 15 March, the AHRC cautioned LGBTQ+ Africans and queer individuals globally to avoid attending the event due to safety concerns. They labelled the current U.S. government as an “antagonistic fascist regime” and contended that it presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBT+ attendees. The AHRC, which provides humanitarian advocacy services and resources to LGBTQ+ people who are forcibly displaced, refugees, and asylum seekers, further urged World Pride organisers and their parent company, InterPride, to withdraw the event from the United States entirely. They cited alarming trends in the erosion of democracy, trans rights, and overall attacks on LGBTQ+ communities within the U.S. and beyond.

“This is not business as usual and not a time for celebration but rather a time for resistance,” the AHRC stated in their press release. Their manifesto adds, “The U.S.A. is no longer a free Democratic country that WorldPride signed up for. The United States under Trump-Musk-Vance is adopting anti-LGBTQI+, white supremacist, anti-women, racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, and antisemitic policies, all fascist principles, and adding to this, by the hour.”

The AHRC's call to boycott follows previous actions from other advocacy groups, notably Eagle Canada, which in February declared that its members would not attend any events in the United States, including World Pride. This decision stemmed from concerns regarding the treatment of trans and non-binary individuals at U.S. borders, alongside a commitment to stand in solidarity with colleagues facing similar fears about entering the U.S. The group's statement underscored the unique challenges posed by what they described as “economic warfare and threats to our national sovereignty.”

In conjunction with the AHRC’s statements, InterPride has also issued a travel advisory for transgender and nonbinary individuals planning to attend the event. Following an executive order from the U.S. president on 20 January, all travellers must now select either ‘male’ or ‘female’ when applying for entry or visas, with the gender listed at birth being taken as valid. InterPride’s advisory encourages those whose passports carry an ‘X’ gender marker or differ from their birth-assigned gender to contact the U.S. diplomatic mission prior to travel to confirm entry requirements.

Source: Noah Wire Services