Outlaws and Allies: Cowboys and Queer Culture
June 19 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Date: Thursday, June 19, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
Location: Bata Shoe Museum
Tickets: $15 General, $10 Senior (65+) / Student (With ID), $5 Friends of the BSM
Join us for a compelling exploration of identity, culture, and history inspired by our newest exhibition, Rough and Ready: A History of the Cowboy Boot. This panel discussion will delve into the intersectionality of cowboy traditions and queer identities, uncovering the rich and often overlooked narratives of LGBTQ+ individuals within the iconic cowboy lifestyle. The conversation will challenge stereotypes, celebrate diversity, and reimagine what it means to be a cowboy in both the past and present.
Moderated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, BSM Director and Curator of Rough and Ready, this discussion will feature expert panelists Joseph (J) Shea-Carter, adjunct professor of English and Culture, University of Guelph and Brock Universityand, as well as Lauren Hortie, artist and leader of the popular long-running event Steers & Queers Gay Ole Opry. Together, the panel will explore topics such as the hidden histories of queer cowboys, the ways Western aesthetics have been reclaimed in queer art and fashion, and how the cowboy remains a symbol of individuality and rebellion in both mainstream and queer cultures.
Please check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Refunds are permitted up until 3 business days prior to the event. Contact shan@batashoemuseum.ca with any questions.
Agenda
6:30 pm – Doors Open
7:00 pm – Panel Begins
8:00 pm – Panel Ends, Galleries Open
9:00 pm – Museum Closes
MEET THE SPEAKERS:
Joseph (J) Shea-Carter is an adjunct professor in English and culture at the University of Guelph and Brock University. They have published or have forthcoming work in The Capilano Review, The Malahat Review, ARC, Ex-Puritan, Canadian Literature, and Amodern. Their PhD focuses on queer poetry, writing, and culture alongside broader developments in geopolitics – including emergent nationalisms. They live in Toronto.
Lauren Hortie is an artist, DJ and educator based in Toronto Ontario. As an artist Lauren works in variety of mediums including pen and ink illustration, printmaking, paper cutting and projections. She has been creating underground queer nightlife and culture for over 20 years, including the popular long running event “Steers & Queers Gay Ole Opry” which explores the intersection between rural and LGBTQ identities. Lauren is also the head teacher of the Oasis Skateboard Factory, an award winning Toronto District School Board alternative high school program where at-risk youth earn credits by running a small design business.
Her work has been displayed at such venues as The Museum of Human Achievement in Austin Texas, ACE Art Winnipeg, The Gladstone Hotel, the Ontario Craft Council and the telephone pole across the street from your house.
Elizabeth Semmelhack: As Director and Senior Curator at the Bata Shoe Museum for over 20 years, Elizabeth Semmelhack is a renowned expert on footwear, including sneakers, and regularly consulted by scalars and global media such as the New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post, Forbes, CBC, and CNN, to name a few. Named by FASHION Magazine as one of the “world’s top five game-changing fashion curators”, Semmelhack’s award-winning publications include nearly 30 articles and chapters as well as numerous books and catalogs including Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture (2015), which has sold over 45,000 copies world-wide, Collab: Sneakers x Culture (2019), and Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks (2022).