With the annual Trans Day of Visibility approaching on March 31, the expressive nature of pro wrestling and the international celebration of trans empowerment and community will intersect in a Providence, R.I. nightclub.
CabaRestle, an upstart queer-led New England-based promotion that blends pro wrestling, drag, burlesque and live music into what founder Tim Murray describes as “a John Waters film in a wrestling ring,” will host its first-ever “Trans Takeover” event on March 28, days before Trans Day of Visibility.
The event features a full slate of trans and nonbinary performers, including notable pro wrestling names Kidd Bandit, Noah Veil, Taylor One Shot and Laylah James, rising talents Vivian Cross, Daisy Brooks, Rat King and Salem Grace and regional favorites Rosaleen Grimm, Britney Blair, Brianna Bandz and Nikki Winters.
At the helm of the project are One Shot and Murray, a pairing born out of their separate work building spaces for queer performers in the Northeast and a mutual love of the New York City queer punk scene.
One Shot leaned on her experience running pro wrestling events at Schenectady Pride the last two years and her desire to feature more trans pro wrestlers on those cards when crafting the idea. CabaRestle’s commitment from day one to providing opportunities and a safe, joyous environment for queer and trans performers and attendees made it the perfect promotion to host One Shot’s brainchild.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a really long time and wanting to do it the right way,” One Shot told Outsports. While the timing of the show tying into Transgender Day of Visibility wasn’t initially planned by One Shot, she did have one caveat: this show could not take place during Pride month.
“I don’t want it to be a cliche or another event in June. I want it to matter and mean something in a different way,” One Shot said.
“When you see these big queer shows, a lot of times it’s a lot of the same names. I wanted it to be transgender wrestlers, but I also wanted it to be some of the people who don’t get to shine as bright, who don’t always get on those events.
“I want this to be a stepping stone, a featuring of new talent and people recognized on the QWI 200, to give a community that is so deserving opportunity and show that there are so many of us.”
Murray, who turned over complete control of the pro wrestling aspect of the “Trans Takeover” event to One Shot, shared a similar sentiment.
“Every show we do is a Pride show. We always feature trans wrestlers, so when Taylor came to me with the idea I just said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Murray told Outsports. “Especially once I saw the laws passing banning gender-affirming care, we have to build community and get people together to support each other.
“I hope that my weird, campy, queer event company can bear the responsibility of showing that trans performers are some of the most excellent creatives in any performance space right now.”
Trans Day of Visibility inspires resistance
That aspect of resistance resonates beyond just the two steering the ship for the event.“The more the world at large is trying to erase us from public existence, it is an act of defiance,” Blair said during a recent appearance on the LGBT In The Ring podcast. “Wrestling is a really cool place to play with that.
“Sports are the epicenter of transphobic oceans in the country right now, so what better place to push the envelope and make some really good sports entertainment out of a population that has been learning how to perform, play with and assert personhood and identity.”
“It is taking a stand, in a way, to say that we are not going to cede this space to you,” Grimm said on the LGBT In The Ring podcast. “I struggle with finding ways to be more active in the community. I want to do more for my community. I want to be helping any way I can, and [wrestling] is something that I can do.
“I can be visible in front of people, staking out this territory and say I deserve to be here and all of the trans people watching deserve to be here in the same way that I once upon a time watched Brianna, Nikki and Judie Brews and thought, ‘Man, if they can do that, I can do that too.’”
“‘Trans Takeover’ is infinitely more important because it’s happening during a time when being trans is currently almost illegal in certain states,” Kidd Bandit told Outsports. “To do it in a climate that challenges our very existence, it’s the ultimate ‘F**k you’ and I’m all for that.
“When things exist for the community, that’s not just a win for me, it’s a win for all of us,” she added. “In this climate, there is a constant pressure for us to be erased and act as if we never existed or we’re just a trend, even though there is historical documented evidence of gender nonconforming people existing all the way back through ancient times. It’s so integral for me to put on my best performance as an artist … but it’s not about being ‘good’ as much as it’s about being true to who you are.”
The air of defiance embodying the show’s spirit carves out the space for joy and excellence to thrive, giving “Trans Takeover” added significance beyond the sum of its parts headed toward Trans Day of Visibility.
“These people feel like family,” One Shot said. “I just want to be around that community. We don’t have that in Upstate New York. A lot of places I go, I’m the only trans wrestler, and I’m sure that if I feel that way then I know they feel that way too.
“I want it to be magical and for us all to have that feeling of community and being the majority. It’s all of us coming together collectively to take over CabaRestle. We are running the show.”
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For those that don’t know, the old name for Stinkditch was once “Rat Kings”. It’s a long explanation, but “Stinkditch” is far more concise and straight to the point.
