As conservative states seek to limit transgender rights in the United States, double Grammy Award-nominated singer Rufus Wainwright said Americans should not forget the hardships faced by LGBT+ people in other parts of the world. “It’s really important that gay people in North America should fight for what we need here, but always keep an eye on the devastation that’s occurring around the planet,” the gay American-Canadian singer-songwriter said in an interview. Wainwright said that while the introduction of more than 250 LGBT+ rights-related bills by U.S. state legislatures this year was “troublesome,” gay, bisexual and transgender people faced bigger threats in places such as Russia and the Middle East. Wainwright spoke as he prepares to kick off his worldwide tour in July with his first in-person concert since March 2020, when coronavirus lockdowns halted tours and live events worldwide.