A few weeks ago, fans of the French electronic band Yelle across the U.S. and the rest of North America had their hearts set on seeing them live. Tickets were clutched, itineraries were planned, all for a series of autumn tour dates celebrating the band’s 20th anniversary. But on 16th July, that excitement soured. Yelle announced on Instagram that all their planned US and Montreal gigs were cancelled.
Given that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) increased the visa fee from $460 to more than $1,615 per musician application on 1st April, 2024, it is not surprising that international performers might have to postpone important performances and extensive tours in the United States. Additionally, the lengthy procedure, which involves several agencies and steps—from union consultation to in-person interviews at consulates—will ultimately depend on Customs and Border Protection officers’ final entry decisions, making results uncertain and less dependent on the artists’ diligence.
FKA Twigs, for instance, had to postpone a few of her North American dates on her Eusexua Tour due to visa issues last March, and has since been forced to postpone more shows and cancel her festival appearances in Mexico and California. According to New York immigration attorney Matthew Covey, “the [U.S.] artist visa process for several generations has been a really expensive, incredibly slow and complex process, which has been an impediment to cultural exchange and cultural commerce in the U.S.” and that “it’s always sort of getting a little bit worse.”
While financial and logistical issues are a factor, Yelle cited a more specific concern. In their Instagram post, the band stated “The current political climate in the US, especially in regard to immigration and freedom of speech, is very worrying. We are now travelling as a family with our young child, so more than ever, we need to feel safe.” Now that Donald Trump has been reelected to the White House, many artists and bands, including Yelle, are concerned that this has heightened the risk of politically driven visa denials.
This apprehension is not an isolated incident. A report from Rolling Stone discusses comparable experiences, including those of the Canadian band Shred Kelly, who were set to play a sought-after spot at Idaho’s Treefort Music Festival. However, the band’s vocalist and keyboardist, Sage McBride, said “We’ve never received so many messages from people worried about our travel plans.” After hearing reports of Canadian and European tourists being arrested and detained, the band became concerned. A Canadian actor with a work visa was detained for twelve days at the Tijuana border. A Welsh backpacker spent nearly three weeks in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centre, and a German tourist was held for over six weeks, with more than a week in solitary confinement. Faced with these worries, the band cancelled their appearance at the Treefort festival just a few days before they were scheduled to perform.
Many overseas musicians and bands are also anxious that challenging the Trump administration’s policies may result in visa or border complications, and these fears are not unwarranted. For instance, the British punk band U.K. Subs was denied entry to the U.S. in March despite an 11-hour flight. Bassist Alvin Gibbs described being confined in a “cold holding pen” at LAX with detainees from other countries. In a Facebook post, he stated that his “luggage, phone and passport were all taken from [him].” Gibbs speculated that his “regular and less than flattering public pronouncements regarding their president and his administration were a factor” in the difficulties that he then faced.
The current volatile political climate in the U.S. has become a significant concern for LGBTQ+ musicians abroad, particularly transgender performers. The anti-trans rhetoric of Donald Trump, along with many Republicans who share his beliefs, has led to a crackdown on anyone who doesn’t align with conservative cisgender and heterosexual norms. These actions follow Trump’s campaign promises to target LGBTQ+ communities. His administration enacted policies such as the ban on transgender people from serving in the U.S. armed forces, the elimination of federal support for the LGBTQ+ youth option on the national suicide hotline, and the reversal of efforts to broaden gender identity designations. While anti-trans efforts are not entirely new, it feels as though these communities are now being scrutinised and targeted by the American executive more than ever before.
The past few years have resulted in a difficult atmosphere for LGBTQ+ Americans, with some feeling compelled to flee the nation for safety. It has only got worse since Trump took office. Along with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updating its manual to only recognise two biological sexes, male and female, reversing a Biden-era policy that allowed for a non-binary gender marker option on visa and immigration forms, the current political climate poses significant challenges for international or foreign musicians who are LGBTQ+ or allies. Canadian singer-songwriter Bells Larsen recently cancelled his U.S. tour, citing the new policies. On Instagram, Larsen wrote “To put it super plainly, because I’m trans (and have an M on my passport), I can’t tour in the States.” London-based experimental artist Aya Sinclair has also stated in an interview with Pitchfork that she won’t be “coming to the U.S. until anything changes,” fearing that she may “chance paying eight or ten grand for a visa and then get turned away at the border because (her) passport doesn’t line up with what they see.”
President Trump’s policies are squeezing Americans financially. The effects include higher consumer prices, new tariffs on small businesses, and smaller pay cheques for workers. This economic uncertainty also imposes hidden costs on families and businesses. In this context, the arts and culture sector should be standing out as a vital economic engine, generating significant revenue and supporting millions of jobs. The nonprofit arts industry alone contributes $135 billion in economic activity annually, supporting 4.1 million jobs and generating $22.3 billion in government revenue. These figures underscore the critical role that arts and culture play in bolstering local businesses and stabilising the national economy.
This current administration’s actions that create a hostile political atmosphere for foreign bands and musicians, whether queer or not, are not only socially harmful but also commercially unproductive. By enacting policies that cause personal safety concerns, legal complications, and a general sense of unwelcomeness, Trump’s government risks alienating a group of people who are critical to the financial health of the country’s arts and culture sector, all in the name of emphasising and reinforcing outdated rhetoric.
Words by Mishael Lee
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