(Washington) The United States on Friday issued a warning of the risk of attacks against the LGBT+ community around the world ahead of Pride Month in June, urging American nationals to exercise caution when traveling to the stranger.
The US State Department said in a statement “that it is aware of the increased risk of violence inspired by foreign terrorist groups against LGBT+ individuals and events”.
Washington “advises American nationals abroad to exercise increased caution.”
The American federal police, the FBI, issued a similar warning on May 10.
The FBI then highlighted recent anti-LGBT+ rhetoric in publications on the social networks of the Islamic State (IS) group. ISIS called on its “followers to carry out attacks against unidentified soft targets”.
The FBI warning also highlighted the 2023 arrests in Vienna of three individuals suspected of being IS sympathizers, accused of planning an attack on the Pride march in the Austrian capital using knives and a vehicle.
During LBGT+ Pride Month in June 2016, the United States experienced one of the worst gun killings in its history, in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
The gunman, Omar Mateen, had pledged allegiance to IS during a call for emergency services during the attack which left 49 dead. He was then shot dead when the police stormed the establishment.