Right now, trans and queer musicians in the US are being told to stay home. Not metaphorically – literally. New border policies under the resurrected Trump-era gender rules are blocking artists from entering the country unless their documents reflect the gender they were assigned at birth. That means a lot of trans musicians can’t legally tour the US. And even for those who can, the atmosphere is hostile as hell.
Bells Larsen had to cancel his US tour after being told his gender marker on his passport wasn’t “suitable”. T. Thomason pulled out of an American festival for fear of being detained at the border. Even Grammy-winning Kim Petras has scrapped her upcoming tour dates, citing burnout – but in this climate, who could blame her?
Sure, we could have looked at the state of things and said, “Maybe now’s not the time.”
But punk was never about waiting for permission. And LOUD WOMEN doesn’t flinch – we amplify.
So yeah – we’re going. We’re taking LOUD WOMEN Fest to New York City on May 10. We’re flying directly into the storm. We’re bringing love, guitars, and righteous fury. And we’re throwing a massive, queer-as-fuck feminist punk party at Brooklyn’s 3 Dollar Bill.
This lineup? It’s the fiercest we’ve ever put together – majority trans, queer, and people of colour. These are artists who live and breathe punk as resistance, bringing raw, righteous energy from across the US, the UK, and beyond. It’s not diversity for diversity’s sake: it’s the heart and future of punk.
Headliners Eevie Echoes & The Locations said it best:
“Punk is not dead. It’s just more femme, queer, trans, Black and Latina now.”
As well as Eevie, we’ve also got Choked Up, ShyGodwin, I, Doris, Yacko, Desert Sharks, Ro Redfern, Slut Magic, Sorry Darling, Typhoid Rosie and Dubais – some of the fiercest acts we’ve ever seen live. And every single one of them is turning up not just to play, but to claim space and scream it loud: We’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere.
Honestly, this wasn’t an easy call. We booked this Fest back in a different era – when we still had glittery dreams of a woman president and some hope for global progress. But the world’s gone backward since then, and that’s exactly why this Fest has to go ahead.
This isn’t just about music. It’s about international queer and trans solidarity. It’s about circling the fuck up around our siblings in the US who are being told they don’t belong. It’s about using our privilege – our platform, our punk – to build bridges in a time when so many are being burned.
LOUD WOMEN Fest NYC is a punk-powered declaration of love, resistance, and community. And we are so proud to be bringing it to life.
If you’re in or near New York – come. Scream with us. Dance with us. Rage with us. Be part of this movement. Because punk isn’t just cool. Punk is radical compassion with distortion pedals. And it’s never been more necessary.
We’ll see you in Brooklyn.
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