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

by Valerie Korinek

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 five major urban centres, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, and Calgary, Prairie Fairies explores the regional experiences and activism of queer men and women by looking at the community centres, newsletters, magazines, and organizations that they created from 1930 to 1985.　 Challenging the preconceived narratives of queer history, Valerie J. Korinek argues that the LGBTTQ community has a long history in the prairie west, and that its history, previously marginalized or omitted, deserves attention. Korinek pays tribute to the prairie activists and actors who were responsible for creating spaces for socializing, politicizing, and organizing this community, both in 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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Canada, Politics

528 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2018

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my random requests to NetGalley for a book that simply sounded unusual and original, even though patently one about a topic that I might not be expected to be interested in. But I love to explore the byways of history and this book turned out to be both fascinating and illuminating. It explores the experiences of gay and lesbian people in the prairies of Canada between 1930 and 1985, not an area of the country I would have associated with the LGBTQ community. Delving into the available archives and relying heavily on oral histories, the author brings the era and the people alive, and it’s a well-written and painstakingly researched social history of a time and place. I found it a bit heavy-going at times, as it is undoubtedly an academic text, but I enjoyed the anecdotes and personal histories contained within, and certainly had my horizons broadened.

[Yuu · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read LGBTQ history, I often find it kind of an alienating experience; usually the places and communities covered don't feel like they have any relevance to my life - they might as well be discussing events that took place on Mars. Not so with this book. It's a useful read for LGB people living in the prairies - those of us interested in a queer history that is actually relevant to where we live, who we are, and the past experiences of people who are like us.

I especially appreciated that it covered (to the extent possible) areas outside of the big cities; grassroots organization in the smaller towns, like Red Deer and Moose Jaw. People like me are here, and always have been, and it's hard, but people have always been trying to find some sense of community, too, even in these places. We did not and do not only exist in the big cities. And we shouldn't have to move to big cities just to exist.

It's also a little depressing - so many of the issues that people struggled with in the past are still an issue; concerns that people had then are still concerns that people, including myself, have now - the necessity of the closet due to the likely possibility of hostility at work or being alienated by one's family and community. There are still people who wear masks to pride events due to fear of being identified.

But it's also heartening, because the discussion of all the community effort to build spaces is a reminder that in the past it was possible, and even though it's still hard, we now have a better chance of making room for ourselves here.

This book has some limitations; areas that couldn't be covered due to scarcity of sources. But the author is pretty good about pointing out these areas.

I very much appreciate that this book exists, and I'm very glad about my decision to ask my local library to add it to their collection.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to read because the book is very thorough and covers alot of content. Pretty incredible historical telling or what it was like growing up queer or trans in the prairies!

Winnipeg was at the forefront of queer/trans activism and fighting for human rights in the prairies. So much of our history has been lost but I am thankful for books like this one!! 🥰

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, empathetic, and fascinating account of lesbian and gay citizens of Canada's prairie provinces. While there is some bi erasure in this book, it is otherwise strong in documentation of queer history in both the large cities and smaller rural towns of these provinces, taking into account First Nations, Metis, and colonizer politics and relationships; the problems of identity that persist in dividing LGBTTQIAA+ communities; and the difficulty of finding individuals willing to share their memories and histories with the public. Prairie Fairies is an important addition not only to the body of work on queer history, but to Canadian history as a whole, and offers new avenues of research for scholars to pursue further.

[Cameron Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the scale of what VJK accomplishes here I'd usually consider bumping this monograph up to 4 stars. Unfortunately I had major problems with Korinek's methodology. Given the scope of the project and Korinek's claim to be "sensitive to silences", I found the gaps in her narrative particularly glaring. Might write a longer review at some point.

[Rei ⭐ [TrulyBooked] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Prairie Fairies is a well-written and fascinating look at queer life in the prairies. I'll be the first to admit that I never would have considered what queer life would be like in the prairie provinces. In my mind, people who were queer would end up migrating toward the largest cities that they could find.

What Prarie Fairies does so well is it breathes life into what could very easily become dull. Korinek took me by the hand and led me into a time and place I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around.

It's a great read and I can't recommend it enough, but please be wary that it's a bit dense at times. I would be absolutely hooked one moment and then struggling for a few pages before picking up my momentum again.

For more reviews like this one, visit Truly Booked.

[Bradley West · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, so good.

This is a mix of text book meets novel - and what an amazing collection of knowledge's and understandings of queer life in our prairie past - and how, it moved and shaped us, to where we are today.

Having taken my first steps into the queer community in Winnipeg, a full decade after the last date of this research time frame, it was lovely to see names and stories I recognized from those earlier days - some were already local legends; some were still around, making names and noises, while others....quietly came out of the sidelines during the contentious movement toward marriage equality.

This is definitely one to add to your collection .........

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was born and lived in Alberta from 1948 to 1978 and was so looking forward to reading this book, but was hugely disappointed. It is deeply researched but largely filled with supposition as what gay life existed in those years was so deeply buried and hidden.

[szreads]

I love everything written by Valerie