This avant-garde trans wrestling group is the antidote to toxic masculinity
In a world marked by rising hostility to trans people, trans men and others across the gender spectrum have taken to the wrestling ring to turn traditional ideas of masculinity on their head literally.T Boy Wrestling, organized by Trans Dudes of LA, is packing venues across the country with a politically charged mix of classic American wrestling, staged psychodramas, mixed fighting with strip teases, and drag. Related Trans woman swims topless at meet to protest being forced to compete against cis men Swimming officials told her she could wear a mens suit, but also warned that the referee could disqualify her for bad moral taste. The standing room only spectacles are making the latent and self-loathing homoeroticism of WWE wrestling a favorite pastime of the president and his MAGA-bro fans overt. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Its a dream come true just to see this out in the open, Mack Beggs, one of the five judges presiding over T Boy Wrestling, told NBC News at an event in Los Angeles. The former teen wrestling star earned the far rights wrath when he tried and failed to join a boys team in Texas. He went on to win the girls state championships two years in a row.T-Boy Wrestling has multiple events scheduled in New York and Los Angeles through the fall, including what promises to be a revealing carwash fundraiser in a parking lot in Glendale in two weeks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Trans Dudes of LA (@transdudesofla)Adam Bandrowski and Mich Miller, two L.A.-based artists and founders of Trans Dudes of LA, said the matches are a form of therapy for both the participants and the audience.We wanted to move away from a support-group model to highlight artists and makers in the community, Miller said.Bandrowski added, We dont have to talk about being trans. We can just hang out.Hanging out in this model includes ankle locks, camel clutches, inverted atomic drops, and the popular Half Nelson Bulldog. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Trans Dudes of LA (@transdudesofla)High school teacher and trans activist Cal Dobbs entered the ring as wrestling villain the Devils Advocate.Whats the most toxically masculine person I can think of? Dobbs asked.The dude-bro with salmon shorts.Dobbs confronted Black trans and androgynous Cowboy Blvck, a DJ and chef who called their first pair of chaps incredibly affirming.My drag is being a cowboy, Blvck said.The crowd booed Dobbs villainous dude-bro when he had the cowboy on their back, though Blvck did manage to pull down the Devils salmon shorts; tighty-whities reading Trust Fund Baby had the crowd roaring and on their feet in the cowboys support. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TBOY WRESTLING (@tboywrestling)T-Boy Wrestling follows traditional WWE prohibitions on biting, scratching, and itching, but flips the script on performers juicing at an event with a mid-ring picnic.Marco Miller and August Shapiro pranced through the ropes in short shorts and tiny tank tops, carrying a wicker basket. Lounging on a blanket, they toasted each other and whipped out their T.With a Rocket Man remix blasting, the pair prepped their syringes and injected for the crowd, who went wild at the sight.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.