A Canadian musician says he will no longer travel to the U.S. to tour, citing fears for his safety due to the country’s anti-trans policies.
Bells Larsen is a singer and songwriter based in Toronto and Montreal who’s set to promote his upcoming sophomore album, Blurring Time. However, in an Instagram post last week, Larsen, who is transgender, shared that he made the difficult choice to cancel the U.S. leg of his tour, which would’ve taken him to Massachusetts, New York, and California.
“I am no longer able to apply for a visa because U.S. immigration now only recognizes identification that corresponds with one’s assigned sex at birth,” he wrote. “To put it super plainly, because I’m trans (and have an M on my passport), I can’t tour in the States.”
In a notice shared with members, Allistair Elliott, vice-president of Canada/director of Canadian Affairs at the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), stated that recent changes in the U.S. immigration services mean that Canadian members applying for an artist visa can only list their gender as male or female.
“Both AFM International President Gagliardi and I agree that this change runs afoul of our shared values,” said Elliott. “At this time, it is unlikely the U.S. government will pivot from this objectionable position.”
After getting the email from AFM and consulting with lawyers, Larsen said he felt like “there is no way to move forward.”
“If random people are getting randomly questioned/stopped/detained at borders, how can I — as someone wanting to make money abroad by exhibiting my lived experience as a trans person — expect to pass go [sic] and get out of jail free?” he asked.
Larsen said that the new policy has left him heartbroken and uncertain when he can tour the U.S. again.
“The irony of this announcement falling exactly two weeks before the release of my album, which is about my transition, is not lost on me,” he stated.
Larsen declined an interview about his decision to cancel his tour.
U.S. travel and policy changes
In January 2025, the White House issued an executive order “defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.”
“Under the executive order, we will no longer issue U.S. passports or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs) with an X marker. We will only issue passports with an M or F sex marker that match the customer’s biological sex at birth,” reads a notice on the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs website.
Officials further stated that all U.S. passports, including those with an X marker or those listing a sex different from one’s sex at birth, will remain valid for travel until their expiration date. The U.S. Department of State also confirmed this in an email.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson also told us that a foreign traveller’s gender, as indicated on their passport and their personal beliefs about their sexuality, “do not render a person inadmissible.”
“Claims to the contrary are false,” they stated. “Travellers must present an official government-issued travel document and be the rightful bearer of that document when seeking entry at a U.S. Port of Entry.”
But rising transphobia in the U.S. and increased security measures at the U.S.-Canada border have many Canadian passport holders on edge, and with reason.
In a recent travel advisory, the government of Canada warns 2SLGBTQI+ persons travelling south of the border that some states “have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons.”
European countries like Denmark and Germany have also issued advisories for transgender and non-binary people travelling to the U.S.
Recently, Zaya Perysian, a 22-year-old trans woman from California, filed a lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-trans passport policy. Perysian, who’s a social media influencer, received her passport in January, which listed her as male.
In an interview with Reuters, she stated, “This is something that has been forced upon me, basically. And it’s really unfair and kind of crazy, but that’s why we’re fighting it.”
Online, Larsen has received support and apologies from fans.
“I am American and literally just discovered your music today. I immediately went to see if you’d be touring and found this,” wrote one commenter on Larsen’s Instagram post. “I am so angry and sorry this is happening. I am looking forward to your album release and will support you in any way I can.”
Another wrote, “The irony is that by attempting to silence you, all they’re actually doing is giving you more of a platform to speak your truth.”
One Redditor wrote, “We’re going to be seeing a lot more of this. It’ll hit queer artists the hardest, but I don’t think anyone is truly safe from this. It’s all so cruel and arbitrary.”
Larson concluded his post by stating, “While it has been progressively nerve-wracking, I will continue to be my most authentic self in the public eye in the hopes that others might find courage and solace in the music I make.”
He is scheduled to tour Ontario and Quebec in May and July.
