In a stark reflection of the current climate facing trans artists internationally, Toronto singer-songwriter Bells Larsen has cancelled all planned U.S. tour dates after learning that his gender identity is no longer recognized under current American visa regulations.
The news broke this week through a detailed statement shared via Larsen’s label, Royal Mountain Records. The 27-year-old artist explained that the American Federation of Musicians informed him on Tuesday that he could no longer apply for a visa to perform in the United States due to discrepancies between his gender identity and the sex assigned at birth listed in identification documents.
“To put it super plainly,” he wrote, “because I’m trans (and have an M on my passport), I can’t tour in the States.”
The decision arrives just weeks ahead of the release of Larsen’s sophomore album Blurring Time, a deeply personal project that incorporates vocal recordings from both before and after he began hormone therapy. The record reflects Larsen’s evolving relationship with gender, memory, and selfhood — themes he was hoping to explore further with audiences on both sides of the border.
The cancellation affects multiple dates, including shows in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other U.S. cities. Full refunds are being made available to ticket holders.
What began as logistical anxiety over rising reports of transphobic scrutiny at international borders quickly solidified into a legal roadblock. “The accumulation of border horror stories + worried check-in texts from loved ones + increasingly troublesome updates on the news… has resulted in a plethora of nightmares and anxiety,” Larsen shared in his public statement. Even before the AFM’s email confirmed the worst, he had been weighing the risks of crossing into the U.S. as an openly trans artist.
In Canada, however, the tour will go on. Larsen’s upcoming performances in Toronto, Hamilton, and Montreal’s Bar le Ritz are scheduled to proceed as planned. He’s encouraging fans — particularly trans and racialized fans facing financial barriers — to reach out for support accessing tickets. “I’ll be putting my entire being into [these shows],” he wrote. “If you’re trans, would like to come to a show, and are experiencing financial difficulties, shoot me a DM and I’ll make sure you have a ticket.”
The cancellation raises broader questions about access and equity in the international touring circuit, especially for artists whose work is rooted in identity, transition, and resistance. Larsen’s statement touches on the emotional and professional weight of the moment: “This new policy has crushed my dreams,” he wrote. “I’m cradling a very broken heart and the realisation that I don’t know if or when I will be able to tour in the States again.”
The release of Blurring Time, scheduled for later this month, was intended not just as a musical milestone, but also as a springboard into new markets. “I am not exaggerating when I say that I shaped my transition around Blurring Time,” Larsen said. “This album is, in many ways, my life’s work.” For now, the vision of sharing it live with American audiences has been put on indefinite hold.
While Larsen’s frustrations are personal, they echo a broader trend of policy changes and social attitudes in the U.S. that have left many trans and non-binary individuals facing heightened barriers at borders, workplaces, and healthcare systems. His story is the latest reminder of how shifting legal definitions — and the bureaucracies that enforce them — can have very real consequences for artists and cultural workers.
Despite the disappointment, Larsen remains committed to creating space for queer and trans visibility in music. “I consider it an honour, a challenge, and a duty to bring queer joy, power, and catharsis to audiences through my project,” he wrote. “I can’t wait to perform Blurring Time on stages across Canada this spring, summer, and fall.”
For now, fans in Toronto, Hamilton, and Montreal still have a chance to experience that in person. And for Larsen, the work continues — even as the borders close.
Photo – Lawrence Fafard
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