Both Denmark and Finland have changed their travel councils for transgender people who are planning to travel to the US writes American Newsweek. They then follow other European countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, which have also issued warnings to their citizens as a direct response to the Trump administration’s actions regarding transgender rights in the United States.
It was already under Donald Trumps First day back as president, which he made clear that the government in the United States would now only recognize two genders, man and woman. Therefore, when applying for ESTA or a visa to travel to the United States, there are only two options when specifying gender designation.
In the Danish passports there is an alternative to specify a gender neutral X. Hence the Danish Foreign Ministry has now issued a new recommendation to contact the US Embassy before the trip to get guidance if you have changed gender or have the gender designation X in the passport.
It was LGBT+ Denmark who contacted the Danish Foreign Ministry to ask them to update their advice regarding transgender people who will travel to the United States because they were worried about the conditions.
– We are worried that people will be stopped at the airport and denied entry, or that they should be exposed to something that is cross -border and unpleasant at the airport, says Susanne Branner Jespersensecretariat manager at LGBT+ Denmark to Radio 4.
In Finland, the gender designation X cannot be specified in the passport, but Finnish authorities still warn that US authorities can stop denying visitors entry if the gender designation in the pass differs from the gender designation specified at birth.
In Sweden, the authorities have not responded to Trump’s actions regarding the rights of transgender people. Something that is criticized by Peter Sidlund PonkalaFederal Chairman at RFSL who wishes the government to take a clearer position on the issue and that Sweden also updated its travel council regarding the United States.
– What is happening in the United States is an attack on trans and LGBTQ people. We must monitor the situation carefully, both from civil society and the Swedish government’s direction, says Peter Sidlund Ponkala to DN.