Losing Money, Opportunities, and Dreams
Trans and gender non-conforming artists T. Thomason and Bells Larsen have scrapped US tour dates, fearing discrimination under Trump’s strict gender ID rules.
Thomason, a non-binary singer, withdrew from a Maine festival after Trump’s executive order recognising only two genders, saying, “If [detentions are] happening to cis people, I worry what could happen to me.”
Larsen, a trans man, canceled his tour because his passport gender marker doesn’t match his birth sex—potentially invalidating his visa.
Avoiding the US means sacrificing income and career growth in the world’s biggest music market.
Visa delays and denials have left trans artists in limbo, with lawyers warning of “misrepresentation” risks if documents don’t align with birth sex.
Thomason, now barred from entering the US, says the policies force artists to abandon years of work: “It’s taking your dreams and completely changing them.”
With few alternatives, trans musicians are calling for new support systems—and warning these rules could have far-reaching consequences beyond the music industry.
