Border Insecurity: Canadian musicians face volatile tour life under Trump
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TORONTO — Canadian country singer Robert Adam recorded their new album in Nashville, but under the political tumult of U.S. President Donald Trump, the musician doesn't plan to travel stateside to promote it.
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The Calgary-based non-binary artist says they contemplated their decision for several months, weighing past negative experiences as a queer person visiting the United States against the importance of the U.S. market for emerging musicians.
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But after hearing about the obstacles faced by some transgender musicians in obtaining U.S. working visas, Adam said they are confident they've made the right decision to skip the country on their upcoming tour.
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'(I'm) pretty non-binary presenting, pretty femme … it's hard not to see that I kind of stick out,' they said in a phone interview.
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'I don't want to spend my life stressed out over whether I feel like I have to … tone down my image, or what I have to say, just to exist and play a show.'
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An order issued in January by the Trump administration declared that the United States will only recognize two sexes, male and female, and that government documents must reflect the one assigned at birth.
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This would mean trans and non-binary entertainers might have to misgender themselves in hopes of getting approval.
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Some Canadians also have an X gender marker on their passport, and while Adam doesn't, they said the possibility of invasive questions about their gender or being detained at the U.S. border far outweighs the upside.
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And so, they will tour elsewhere.
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After several Canadian dates, Adam plans to head to the United Kingdom and Japan, where they feel their brand of queer country music will be more warmly received.
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'It's important to me that we go to spaces where I can do those things freely and … inspire others to do the same,' they added.
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Other Canadian artists, both within the LGBTQ+ community and outside it, are asking themselves whether touring the United States is worth the ethical compromise or safety risks it may present.
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More than 200 musicians, managers and other industry players attended a panel that included two U.S. immigration lawyers who specialize in visas for the arts community.
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'I think everybody is right to be anxious, worried and concerned about coming into the U.S. right now,' said Will Spitz, a lawyer in the performing arts division of New York-based firm CoveyLaw.
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