*We are proud to kick off our Trans Visibility Series, which centers the lived experiences of trans and gender-expansive young people while connecting those stories to relevant research and data. To learn more about this series or to submit your own story, click here.
We are all in flux. No matter who you are, we all grapple with unfulfillment and “I wish I could do that” thoughts. I can passionately attest to that reality. In my 30 years on this Earth as a trans lesbian lady, I’m constantly lamenting what I haven’t done. No matter what I accomplish in a day, the tasks I didn’t complete or the sensations I’ve never experienced linger in the forefront of my mind.
In early March 2026, though, I got to check off one experience I’ve always wanted to undergo. This was when I went to my first concert. Seeing Chrissy Chlapecka’s “Girl on the Moon” tour at Puzzles Deep Ellum in Dallas, Texas let me finally call myself a concertgoer. I came for the music and to finally say “I went to a concert!” but I stayed because I discovered a trans lesbian paradise.
Now, in my younger years (before I even turned 13), my dad did take me to some country music concerts centered on older artists whose peak popularity was in the 60s and 70s. It was fun to see George Jones live, but I’d never gone to a concert in any capacity after the age of 12. To boot, I never got to pick the show or go through all the rituals of an adult concertgoer. That finally came to pass on Thursday, March 12, 2026, when I exited my Uber and reached the Puzzles Deep Ellum entrance. Given how I’d been listening to Chrissy Chlapecka’s music for years and just virtually interviewed her for Seattle Gay News, I was already floating with excitement as my ride neared its destination.
Leaving the vehicle, though, made me fully realize that I would finally get to experience cornerstones of the concert experience I’d previously only seen in movies or heard in anecdotes from friends. There it was! The line to get into the venue! For some reason, the idea of waiting to reach the Puzzles’ interior never crossed my mind before that day, but it made total sense. Everyone I knew who had gone to a concert had been stuck in a similar line. Why should I be deprived of this opportunity?
A bright red carpet was underneath everyone’s feet and a nearby bouncer lingered to scan tickets. The line was littered with she/hers, they/thems, and a slew of other genders all coated in brightly colorful, cheekily provocative, and frequently cosmic-themed (to match the “Girl on the Moon” aesthetic) garbs. Whenever further newcomers arrived in the venue, there was no need to ask if this was the line to get into the concert anchored by a pink-haired, lesbian leftist self-proclaimed “bimbo.” One look at everyone’s wardrobe (including my own scantily clad, pink leopard-print dress) made it clear you were home.
In this line alone, there was already a sense of endearing camaraderie as everyone complimented each other’s outfits, asked for other people’s pronouns, and talked about their favorite Chrissy Chlapecka songs. The eclectic array of sounds and atmospheres in her discography meant there were so many different answers as to what Chlapecka tune resonated the most with you. These queries got everyone ingratiated with each other even before we set foot inside. Soon, though, the bouncer ushered us in, and it was time to get down to brass tacks.
Puzzles’ intimate scope was apparently clear the moment you walked indoors. This was an exciting sight, since it was was clear we’d all get to have a truly cozy and involving live music experience. This also meant there were no chairs to sit down in, so we’d all be standing around for the entire evening. As weird as it sounds, this was another development that made my brain stir with excitement. I’d also heard from my more concert experienced pals about this! Now I could finally join in on the fun! Standing around for hours and enjoying the music. This was going to be great.
As we all stood around, I was able to connect with other queer and trans folks who were there. So many delightful souls crossed my path, including one woman who’d come all the way from Houston to see Chrissy Chlapecka perform here. The socializing alone was already enough to make me call this place “paradise.” Given the deluge of anti-LGBTQIA laws being passed across the country, discovering and treasuring those “paradises” felt especially vital that night.
But then the proper on-stage entertainment began. The pre-show performances before Chrissy Chlapecka took the stage included a butch femme drag queen doing an absolutely amazing routine to the tune of Rihanna’s “Breakin’ Dishes.”
The hotness and precise choreography was off the charts. It was also a spectacularly GAY spectacle that set a precedent for how unabashedly lesbian/sapphic the ensuing evening was. Once Chrissy Chlapecka took the stage, she kept that atmosphere going and ramped it into overdrive. Hearing her glorious voice belt out tunes was already an amazing experience. Being able to hear that voice with tons of other queer folks belonging to marginalized genders??? All of them singing along and even crying over the beautifully gay sight unfolding before our pupils? It doesn’t get better than that.
Trying to be pronounced as a gay person in this capitalistic and homophobic world is a nightmare. Studies like Travis N. Ray and Michele R. Parkhill’s 2020 research “Heteronormativity, Disgust Sensitivity, and Hostile Attitudes toward Gay Men: Potential Mechanisms to Maintain Social Hierarchies” have provided evidence reflecting the ubiquity and psychological origins of such hostility. Such anguish even extends into specific, vital spaces where queer people should be allowed to be vulnerable, such as the medical spaces chronicled in the 2024 study “Institutional Violence Perpetrated against Transgender Individuals in Health Services: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.”
The existence of such studies solidifying that these challenges do exist is comforting, but it doesn’t erase those problems from existing on a day-to-day basis. To boot, queer women/enby’s/other marginalized genders have extra hurdles to overcome in trying to embrace their innately bombastic selves (such challenges are, of course, exacerbated for those who’re also people of color). For one thing, speaking from tragic experience, cis-het men seeing any instance of dressing slutty or being sexually provocative as an “invitation” for their icky hands and advances. Plus, there’s the endless pressures for folks who aren’t identifying as men to “properly” exhibit their gender. Whether you’re butch, femme, or any other presentation of your gender, American society is bound to tell you’re doing it wrong and betraying your identity.
In the halls of Puzzles that night, though, an oasis was created. You could dress, identify, and scream as passionately as you wanted. You were even encouraged to do so!! Chrissy Chlapecka created a much-needed bubble from the horrors of everyday existence. For me personally, this included never having my gender questioned or challenged. Nobody here thought my bright outfit and outlandish makeup indicated I was wearing a “costume” or somehow NOT a she/her gal. Instead, I was just one of many boisterous queer voices relishing the chance to be themselves and attend a concert where a voice-over narrator reassured concertgoers the Moon has “no men.”
And then there was the straightforward joy of hearing familiar tunes like never before in this live setting. As the music platforms I listen to could attest, I’ve listened to Chrissy Chlapecka’s various songs more times than you can imagine. Yet they hit my eardrums for the first time in the context of hearing Chlapecka belt them out live. The immediacy of this performance, not to mention Chlapecka’s tremendous voice, just made these songs come alive like never before.
Even better, tunes I’d somehow never heard before left an immense impact being discovered in this context. “Clam Casino,” specifically, was practically a religious experience for yours truly. I could feel my body hovering above the ground, my eyes seeing into a new dimension of lesbian joy as this rocking melody washed over my body. Listening to these boisterous and confident lyrics performed through Chlapecka’s bravura vocals and physicality (not to mention the terrific back-up dancing and guitar playing) seared this song into my mind.
Concerts really are a perfect way to appreciate recognizable tunes on a new level. However, the “Girl on the Moon” concerts queer and lesbian specifics made it so much more than just that for me. Seeing so many people also sing along to every word of “Bitter With You” or “I’m So Hot” vibrantly reminded me how I wasn’t alone. The constantly endearing and welcoming vibes from total strangers amongst my fellow concertgoers only reaffirmed this reality. Jumping up and down in joy to every line of “Clam Casino” with countless other queer gals/enby’s produces some absolutely incredible bonds.
After Chrissy Chlapecka performed her most popular tune, “I’m So Hot,” the “Girl on the Moon” show in Dallas was finished. However, this event’s amazing atmosphere continued even once the concert ended. Standing outside ordering my Lyft home, I saw a bunch of other attendees standing around waiting for their rides to also arrive. As I stood on this sidewalk a little after 10:30 PM, me and some of the other concertgoers began chatting it up about the show and our personal interests. Suddenly, we heard a minor commotion. Specifically, just a few feet away, a trio of ladies were barking “Get out of here!”
Looking to my left, I saw a man scurry away into the night while a trio of ladies in skimpy silver outfits (it kind of looked like they were wearing Borat’s onesie bathing suit crossed with astronaut colors) were yelling at him to get out of here. Turns out this guy had strolled up to the various women waiting for rides and began harassing them. These three heroic ladies immediately told him to go away, and he instantaneously crumbled. I quickly strolled up to the trio and informed them how amazing they were. What chutzpah they had! What gumption! They didn’t take bunk from anyone, how iconic.
These three reinforced how Chrissy Chlapecka’s concert was a safe space for us all even when the music had ended. We were all looking out for one another and keeping this lesbian paradise away from male intruders. The ability of these three women to be so amazing extended to them referring to me through gender-reaffirming terms like “darling” and “lady” while we chatted. It was an extraordinary way to end a night. One more memorable social connection and unforgettable instance of queer camaraderie to conclude the proceedings.
“I realized the exciting life I had envied in others had become my own.” Nathan Fielder once uttered these words on Nathan for You while talking about sliding onto a wedding dance floor in an oversized suit. Yet, on this March 2026 evening, they might as well have been referring to me.
Finally, after years of seeing social media posts about other people going to concerts, I finally got to experience all the hallmarks of this event. The waiting. The standing. The joys of absorbing familiar tunes practically for the first time as they’re belted out live in front of you. No wonder the 2024 study “Let the Music Play: Live Music Fosters Collective Effervescence and Leads to Lasting Positive Outcomes” reaffirmed the psychological benefits of going to concerts and bonding with others.
This “Girl on the Moon” voyage, though, offered even more than just making “the exciting life I had in others…my own.” I found a buried, deeply queer treasure that rejuvenated my soul. I knew ahead of time I’d get to absorb loud music and sing along to my favorite tunes. I didn’t know, however, that this gathering would be such a magnificent social experience. I found a trans lesbian paradise, one where my gender was never questioned or challenged. Instead, I was welcomed with open arms by people whose fashion, confidence, and queer energy riveted me.
How fortunate we all are to be works in progress. How lucky we are to always be discovering new sensations. That reality means you never know when a transformation first-time experience like my trans lesbian concert journey is just around the corner.
