Montreal artist cancels U.S. tour over visa policies targeting his gender identity

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Bells Larsen announced on Friday that he had to cancel his upcoming U.S. tour due to discriminatory visa policies targeting transgender individuals like himself.

Larsen says he received an email Tuesday from the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) informing him that visa officers, due to a new policy, now only recognize identification with one's assigned sex at birth.

"To put it super plainly, because I'm trans (and have an M on my passport), I can't tour in the States," Larsen wrote in an Instagram post. "This new policy has crushed my dreams," he continued.

A U.S. State Department cable dated Feb. 24, first obtained by independent journalist Erin Reed and later reported on by Condé Nast Traveler, tells visa officers that "all visas must reflect an applicant's sex at birth." The directive appears in Secretary of State Marco Rubio's memo titled "Guidance for Visa Adjudicators on Executive Order 14201: 'Keeping Men out of Women's Sports.'" 

It outlines the government's plan to bar transgender women athletes from entering the country to participate in women's sports competitions.

As a result of the broader directive, Larsen cancelled six American tour dates set to begin in mid-June, during which he was scheduled to perform songs from his sophomore album, Blurring Time.

"Of course there's heartbreak and sadness," he told CBC. "This is real and there are so many people whose lives are just being completely altered in the saddest ways possible."

Larsen had already been wrestling with the decision to cancel his tour after reading "spooky stories" about people crossing the U.S.-Canada border. 

But he had a plan with "harm reduction in mind," which involved presenting his visa and passport with an 'M,' performing in blue states, and travelling with a cisgender man.

"I was kind of ready to do everything that I could to make sure that this tour came to fruition, even if that meant, to be totally honest with you, putting my safety at risk," said Larsen. 

"Obviously, that's not the goal, that's not the intent, but of course, every musician wants to be able to do their tour."

But the email he received from the AFM this week amplified his concerns about crossing the border and was the final blow to his U.S. tour plans.

Broader policy change for trans and nonbinary individuals

Though unrelated to Larsen's situation, who has an 'M' on his passport, another U.S. policy change is creating additional barriers for trans and nonbinary artists.

The AFM published a memo at the end of March warning its Canadian members that due to changes at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applicants seeking an Artist Visa can only list female or male as their gender identity — excluding those with an 'X' designation.

"This change runs afoul of our shared values. At this time, it is unlikely the U.S. government will pivot from this objectionable position," wrote the AFM's director of Canadian Affairs Allistair Elliott.

In a recent update to its policy, the USCIS specifies that it "considers a person's sex as that which is generally evidenced on the birth certificate issued at or nearest to the time of birth."

A helping hand after speaking out

Larsen, who moved from Toronto to Montreal in 2019, was hoping the tour would help him "plant new seeds" and foster new connections and friendships.

"I'm a Canadian singer-songwriter and very proudly so, and also, I wanted to break into the States. It's a really important market," he said. 

He explains that the album and himself are "one and the same," because he shaped his transition around the record, blending his voice pre- and post-transition. 

Since going public with his story, he says he's received a lot of love and support.

Fellow Canadian artists have even invited him to join their upcoming tours.

Despite the solidarity, the artist says he can't help but think of queer and trans Americans in red states "who are affected by all of the executive orders and policies." 

"My heart just really, really breaks for them," he said.

"I really, really do hope that when people head to the [Canadian] polls on the 28th [of April,] they think about all that is at stake right now in this election."

For now, Larsen is touring in Ontario and thinking about his next steps.

His Canadian shows, including one in Montreal, are scheduled to go on as planned.

Larsen, who will launch his new album at Montreal's Bar le Ritz PDB on May 8, says he encourages his trans fans who are experiencing financial difficulties to message him and he'll make sure they have tickets to one of his shows.

"We often forget that all I want to do is sing my tunes for people who might see their stories reflected in my own," he said.

"The last couple of [hours] have given me a lot of hope, especially in the digital age."