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And what a show it was last Saturday night at the Billdown Roadhouse in Williamstown, Vt., full of magnificent crashes to the mat, cheesy costumes, and extravagant melodramas of rivalry and pain. The guys (all guys) were in varying states of buff—from impressively hard-bodied to relatably squishy bellied. Delighted kids, fan-boy audience members, beer, and fries flavored this hometown circus—one of the few remnants of what used to be a big, small-town Saturday night before TV brought social atomization.
The wrestling was reminiscent of nothing so much as a macho-infused drag show. Great fun, humor, and the slightly transgressive pleasure taken by performers and audience alike. The event above was a gift that one a grateful queen arranged as a benefit for the People’s Health and Welfare Clinic, which serves Vermonters who are uninsured or cannot afford to see a doctor. It was held at Barre’s old Socialist Labor Hall.
I love drag queens. Takes a lot of self-awareness, and sometimes bravery, to do what they do. And cheers to them for doing this for the PHWC. We took care of a number of trans, drags, others when I was running the clinic; many do not have health insurance.