On Friday, Canadian musician Bells Larsen revealed that he was compelled to cancel his forthcoming U.S. tour due to visa complications stemming from the Trump administration's gender-specific mandates targeting transgender individuals. Larsen, a transgender man, posted on Instagram, sharing that the American Federation of Musicians had informed him via email earlier this week that he was "ineligible to apply for a visa, as US immigration now solely acknowledges identification matching one's birth-assigned sex."
"To put it bluntly, my transgender status (marked by an M in my passport) bars me from touring the United States," Larsen penned. "I hesitate to append 'right now' or 'anymore' to my previous sentence, for in this socio-political landscape, I genuinely cannot discern which phrase holds more veracity. The irony of this announcement coinciding precisely two weeks before the release of my album, which chronicles my transition, is not escaped by me."
In January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating that documents such as passports, visas, and Global Entry cards must reflect one's biological sex. Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services amended its policy to align with this executive order.
Larsen had initially mapped out U.S. tour dates for this spring, encompassing cities like Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, among others. He expressed that this requirement had "shattered my dreams." "I am nursing a deeply wounded heart, grappling with the realization that I am uncertain if or when I will revisit the U.S. for a tour," Larsen wrote. "I am not exaggerating when I say that my transition revolved around 'Blurring Time.' This album, in myriad ways, epitomizes my life's work. With each passing day, I am increasingly devastated by the apparent discord between the world in which I conceived this project and the world into which I am unleashing it."
Broadly, the new immigration policies have cast a shadow of unease across the music industry. Neil Young, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, lambasted Trump earlier this month, voicing apprehension that he might be prohibited from re-entering the U.S. following his European tour later this summer. "If my belief that Donald Trump is the worst president in the history of our great nation could hinder my return, what does that say about freedom?" Young wrote.
Larsen had harbored doubts about proceeding with the tour prior to this week, citing "horrifying border tales" and "alarming news updates." He disclosed plans to tour "in the safest manner conceivable," but added that consultations with immigration lawyers, coupled with this week's email, had made it "abundantly clear to me that there was no viable path forward."
Larsen is not the sole transgender performer in the entertainment industry to speak out against the executive order's repercussions. In February, Hunter Schafer shared that she received a passport listing her sex as male. "A letter and a passport cannot alter that, and fuck this administration," Schafer exclaimed. "I lack a clear answer on how to address this, but I felt it was crucial to share. This is real. So, yeah, fuck."
Larsen's Canadian performances will proceed as scheduled, with tickets accessible on his website. He concluded his message by urging Canadian musicians to rally around one another, "attend each other's concerts, lend a listening ear, and stay abreast of travel regulations, enabling us to make informed decisions to safeguard ourselves."
"Despite the escalating anxiety, I will persist in being my most authentic self in public, hoping that others may find courage and solace in my music," Larsen penned. "I regard it as an honor, a challenge, and a responsibility to bring queer joy, power, and catharsis to audiences through my project, and I eagerly anticipate performing 'Blurring Time' on stages across Canada this spring, summer, and fall."
