Yes, the FYI gang is off for the Canada Day weekend and won't be back in your inbox until Wednesday.
By David Farrell
Yes, the FYI gang is off for the Canada Day weekend and won't be back in your inbox until Wednesday, barring major breaking news when we can be counted to ditch our whatevers and tap out a bulletin to keep you in the loop.
So from us to you, enjoy; drive safe, act wisely and have a blast.
DF
Bells Larsen
Larsen tells Billboard Canada he was told by the American Federation of Musicians that "U.S. Immigration now only recognizes identification that corresponds with one’s assigned sex at birth," leading him to cancel a tour supporting his upcoming album, Blurring Time.
Montreal-based singer-songwriter Bells Larsen is cancelling his U.S. tour due to changes in Visa policies.
Larsen was set to play eight American cities in support of his upcoming record, Blurring Time, an album thematically inspired by his transition, which drops on April 25 via Royal Mountain Records.
He says that on Tuesday, he received an email from the American Federation of Musicians stating he cannot apply for a Visa, as U.S. Immigration now only recognizes legal ID that matches sex assigned 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 says in a statement.
To Billboard Canada, Larsen explains he decided to go public with the situation in hopes of shedding light on the barriers facing trans artists.
"My hope is that my situation will illuminate the degree to which it isn’t safe for my community to be travelling to the States right now, for music or otherwise. It’s so heartbreaking," he says.
Billboard has reached out to the AFM for comment.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS) announced at the beginning of April that they had updated their policy at the outset of the month to only recognize biological sex on immigration forms, in accordance with the Trump administration’s executive order requiring travel documents (including passports and visas) to designate a person’s sex as assigned at birth.
Larsen says he had been debating pulling the plug on the tour for weeks, concerned about cases of border detainment under the current Presidential administration. He was making plans to go about it in the safest way possible, travelling with a cisgender man, crossing borders via plane, and playing in blue states.
"This new policy has crushed my dreams. I’m cradling a very broken heart and the realization that I don’t know if or when I will be able to tour in the States again. "
On March 29, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada sent out an email addressing Canadian members directly. Director of Canadian Affairs Allistair Elliott informed members that the Artist Visa petition required artists to list their gender as either male or female, with no third option for non-binary artists.
"Unfortunately, because of recent changes at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), I must speak directly to our Canadian members. The Artist Visa petition requires an applicant to list gender identity, only recognising male or female. Both AFM International President Gagliardi and I agree that this change runs afoul of our shared values. At this time, it is unlikely the US government will pivot from this objectionable position," Elliott wrote.
The AFM petitions USCIS for Visa approvals on behalf of artists seeking to work in the U.S. The March 29 email did not mention that legal ID must now correspond to sex assigned at birth in order to apply for a Visa.
Tensions between Canada and the U.S. amidst Trump's tariffs combined with the increased cost of time required to obtain a visa to tour the U.S. are already resulting in fewer trips to a market that has always been a focus for Canadian artists. However, these new policies add real potential danger for trans artists.
Larsen will go forward with planned shows in Montreal, Toronto and Hamilton, encouraging trans fans to get in touch if they need help affording a ticket.
"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. I consider it an honour, a challenge, and a duty to bring queer joy, power, and catharsis to audiences through my project and I can’t wait to perform Blurring Time on stages across Canada this spring, summer, and fall."
Blurring Time is out April 25. Tickets to see Larsen live are available here.
