Prairie Fairies: A History of Queer Communities and People in Western Canada, 1930-1985

Prairie Fairies draws upon a wealth of oral, archival and cultural histories to recover the experiences of queer urban and rural people in the prairies. Focusing on the five major urban centres: Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, and Calgary, Prairie Fairies explores the regional experiences of queer men and women from 1930-1985.

Challenging the preconceived narratives of queer history, Valerie J. Korinek argues that queer people have a long history in the prairie west, and that their histories, previously marginalized or omitted, deserve attention. Korinek pays tribute to the prairie activists and actors who were responsible for creating spaces for socializing, politicizing and organizing other queer people, both in the cities and rural areas. Far from the stereotype of the isolated, insular Canadian prairies of small towns and farming communities populated by faithful farm families, Prairie Fairies historicizes the transformation of prairie cities, and ultimately the region itself, into a predominantly urban and diverse place.