The Emerging Queer Arm-Wrestling Scene: STRAPS

P (Philip): What is STRAPS?

L (Layah): STRAPS is meant to be a fun, weird fundraiser, important that it is free and pay what you can by donation for whatever we're fundraising. There's still a lot of queer events in toronto that still don't actually feel like they're for trans people. We try to keep trans and bipoc folks at the forefront of it. Arm-wrestling is what started STRAPS, but I do think it has the potential to branch out into other areas. I wouldn't necessarily say it is a sporting event, which some people kind of thought it is, but that does not cater to what either of us know how to do. It's just something weird.

P: Why arm wrestling?

L: It kinda started as half-a-joke. Firstly I feel like queer people arm wrestling each other that just naturally happens, but I got into the idea while challenging my friends to arm wrestling more often and i think i just challenged Rhys (the second founder) to arm wrestle as a joke and they said “oh this actually has legs! this is a good idea, let's do it.”

Rhys is from the UK and an event over testohunkie a trans-masc event that is similarly centered around Arm wrestling, but also DJ/party-centric events.

What i've come across in asheville is more underground trans-specific collectives that exist, theres bits and pieces of that here but not any end goal we need to build.

P: The latest fundraiser was for DULF, How are your fundraisers done?

L: We change it for each one depending on what seems necessarily important at that moment. What needs the most support. The first one we did was for Skipping Stone, a trans support organization in Calgary, AB when word broke out with Daniel Smith restricting trans-affirming care.

And then the next one was right before pride month so we were fundraising for NPPC (No Pride in Policing) which runs an anti-pride Toronto march and rally every year.

In recent times, people across canada have begun donating items to raffle off in support of the event. There was no intent to bring this in such as leather-workers, photographers

P: The future?

L: Trying to still keep trans and bipoc folks at the forefront of it. There's still a lot of queer events in toronto that still don't actually feel like they're for trans people.

“Im just a dabbler” they/them.