by Hannah Saunders
Seattle’s Kink Center, located at 814 E Pike St., will host the first “Modern Palaestra: Nude Wrestling for Queer Men,” event on Sept. 26 beginning at 8 p.m., which is inspired by all-men’s spaces in ancient Greece where people wrestled and engaged in physical training and development. Saturday’s event will be dedicated towards masculine expression, and sexual empowerment and embodiment for LGBTQ+ men.
“I think spaces for masculine expression are important, especially for Queer men. Sometimes, I feel like masculinity gets frowned on, even within LGBTQ spaces. I want to champion men finding their own way of expressing it. An affinity space where we can wrestle, compete, play, and explore what masculinity looks like for each of us,” Ben Gibson, organizer, told TtS.
Gibson held an apprenticeship at Steamworks, a Gay sauna in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, for over a year, where he learned how to create sex-positive spaces. Gibson said he’s testing the waters with this first event, but would love to follow it up with another event in October after providing a presentation at the North American Bathhouse Association. One idea he’s interested in exploring is oil wrestling, and he said he’s grateful that the Kink Center is offering up its space for this first wrestling event.
A major part of our LGBTQ+ community that is often overlooked is Trans men, and Gibson emphasized how they are invited to the festivities.
“We’ve been upfront in our messaging that Trans men are welcome. That means respecting people’s bodies and boundaries, too. Bullying or body shaming won’t be tolerated. If anyone has a concern, we’ll address it right away, and if someone needs to be removed, we’ll do that,” Gibson said.
Gibson said he’s excited to introduce the idea of palaestra and to see Seattle’s modern take on it, even putting together an easy to digest beginner’s guide to assist people with getting started. Zero wrestling experience is needed to participate in matches, and spectators are also welcome.
The Modern Palaestra: Nude Wrestling for Queer Men event is the first step in Gibson reaching a bigger dream he has that would further cater to LGBTQ+ men in Seattle— a small, clothing-optional and friendly gym.
“If people want to see more spaces, businesses, and projects like this in the community, I’d love for them to come show up and be part of it,” Gibson said.
The event is age 18+ and alcohol-free. Find tickets, which are $25, here.
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