Canadian Musician Bells Larsen Canceled His US Tour Over Anti-Trans Visa Requirements, And People Are Expressing Their Heartbreak And Support
Hot Topic
This is singer-songwriter Bells Larsen, and whatâs transpired in the last few days surrounding his tour is a wake-up call.
On Friday, the Canadian musician announced that he had to cancel his upcoming US tour dates over visa complications thanks to the Trump administrationâs gender requirements targeting people who identify as trans.
As a person who identifies as non-binary, my hands slightly shake as I write this, and my heart breaks for the friends and chosen family who are experiencing a multitude of hardships for simply existing in this world. For myself, Iâm burdened by the anxiety of constantly putting a target on my back and fear of retaliation, but artists like Bells give me the tools to overcome â a soundtrack to our heartbreak, resilience, and reality.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Bells shared that the American Federation of Musicians emailed him that he could âno longer apply for a Visa because US immigration now only recognizes identification that corresponds with oneâs assigned sex at birth.â
Hot Topic
Letâs chat about all things Politics
See our Politics Discussions
âTo put it super plainly, because Iâm trans (and have an M on my passport), I canât tour the States,â Bells wrote. âI hesitate to include a âright nowâ or an anymore at the end of my previous sentence, because â in this sociopolitical climate â I truly donât know which phrasing holds more truth. 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.â
If you didnât know, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January that required documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, to reflect a personâs biological sex, and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services updated their policy to reflect this executive order.
MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images
Bells was scheduled to perform a series of US dates in cities like Los Angeles, New York, Boston, and San Francisco. âIâm cradling a very broken heart and the realization that I donât know if or when I will be able to tour in the States again,â he said. âI am not exaggerating when I say that I shaped my transition around Blurring Time. This album is, in many ways, my lifeâs work. I am more and more gutted with every day that passes by the (seeming) dissonance between the world in which I created this project and the world into which I am releasing it.â
Bells included that his concern over âborder horror stories + worried check-in texts from loves + increasingly troublesome updates on the news and on official government websitesâ made it âclear to me that there was no way to move forward here.â
For Bells, itâs not even opposition against the administration that has âcrushed [his] dreamsâ â itâs simply existing in his truth. âIâm cradling a very broken heart and the realization that I donât know if or when I will be able to tour in the States again.â
But, do not let the cruel efforts of misguided policies diminish hope. The outpouring of support and the shared frustration of Bellsâs situation is a beautiful reminder that people are in this together and not backing down in silence.
Ayo Edebiri shared Bellsâs post to her IG stories, giving his story greater visibility.
One person repeated the Marian Wright Edelman quote Bells referenced, âYou canât be what you canât seeâ and wrote âAs one of your trans American listeners, I am gutted for you, and please also know your work is still impacting us here even if you canât be physically with us.â
âGod this is so infuriating. Iâm so sorry Bells. Big love and solidarity,â Canadian musician Dan Mangan wrote.
Another Canadian musician Eve Parker Finley wrote, âThis breaks my heart and makes me so fucking mad!â
This user wrote, âI am so very sorry. And as an American so terribly embarrassed. I have never even listened to your music but Iâm going to go buy one of your albums and encourage others to do so as well. I look forward to the day when America is safe for you again.â
Leandra Earl of The Beaches wrote, âThis is so fucking infuriating and heartbreaking. Love you dude. The fans who need you over there will be waiting for you.â
Canadian singer-songwriter Gabrielle Shonk wrote, âReading this breaks my heart! You are amazing. Thank you for sharing your story! I just canât wrap my head around the fact that this is the reality we are living in⊠Makes noo sense! Sending you tons of love and support!â
Canadian broadcaster and author Grant Lawrence wrote, âOutrageous. The only âletterâ that should matter is âHâ for human being. I stand with you.â
âYour body of work is borderlessâ you deserve the freedom of movement. Iâm sorry itâs come to this but the work youâre doing is brave and important. Proud to have crossed paths with you, albeit if only for a moment. Sending love,â another person wrote.
Finally, singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt wrote, âThis is incredibly fucked up. The irony is, that by attempting to silence you all theyâre actually doing is giving you more of a platform to speak your truth. Keep fighting the good fight my friend.â
