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UID:29233-0@www.visitcalgary.com
DTSTAMP:20260709T001051Z
DTSTART:20260717T003000Z
DTEND:20260717T023000Z
SUMMARY:How the West Got Shirtless: Beefcakes\, the Stampede\, and Queernes
 s
DESCRIPTION:Last year\, Kevin Allen packed the house with Colonial Calgary 
 Was SO Gay. This year\, he's back — and somehow\, things are getting even
  beefier. \n\nFor one special summer edition\, Hot Dogs & Hot Takes on His
 tory becomes Hot Cakes & Hot Takes on History. Diving into a surprising cha
 pter of Calgary's visual history\, we ask a very important question — jus
 t how much shirtless cowboy photography can one city produce before people 
 start asking questions?\nHistorian and author Kevin Allen returns to explor
 e the world of "beefcake" imagery that flourished around the Calgary Stampe
 de throughout the twentieth century. Originally created to celebrate rugged
  masculinity\, athleticism\, and the ideal western man\, these photographs 
 often featured remarkably sculpted cowboys\, ranch hands\, and athletes pos
 ing in various states of undress.\nThe intention may have been to promote s
 trength\, virility\, and frontier values. The result\, however\, was often 
 something a little more... complicated. \n\nKevin examines photographs\, a
 dvertisements\, postcards\, and popular culture\, and how these images refl
 ect changing ideas about gender\, masculinity\, and desire. Along the way\,
  he'll explore how queer audiences found meaning in images that were never 
 intended for them\, and why some of Calgary's most iconic symbols of mascul
 inity have aged into something unexpectedly homoerotic.\nThis conversation 
 is a reminder that history is rarely as straightforward as it appears — a
 nd that sometimes the most revealing stories are hidden in plain sight\, us
 ually without a shirt.\nCome for the hot cakes\, stay for the realization t
 hat Calgary has been accidentally serving queer subtext for decades.   \n
 \nhttps://www.visitcalgary.com/events/how-the-west-got-shirtless-beefcakes-
 the-stampede-and-queerness\n\nhttps://www.theconfluence.ca/events/hdht-july
 2026
LOCATION:The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland\, 750 9 Avenue SE\, Calgar
 y\, Ab\, T2G 5E1
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