Former Xtra West columnist launches Burlesque West

Book looks at Vancouver's heyday of strip tease

Former Xtra West columnist Becki Ross launched Sep 10 her much anticipated book on Vancouver’s heyday of burlesque and strip tease.

Burlesque West: Showgirls, Sex, and Sin in Postwar Vancouver took UBC professor Ross a decade of research, including in-depth interviews with former dancers and strippers. Vancouver could boast one of the top strip-club scenes in North America for decades, a reflection of its status as a major port and a tourist destination. Dancers could make two-and-a-half times the income of a secretary or clerk at the time — but in exchange had to put up with moral judgment, attempts to impose shame, and racism. The book launch attracted some 147 people to the central Library, including former dancers and practitioners of neo-burlesque.

Read More About:
Culture, Vancouver, Arts, Nudity

Keep Reading

Collage with two hands holding a bat, swinging towards a baseball with a dollar sign on it, against a blue background with a net, baseball player and the Olivia logo on an outfield sign

Why the WPBL partnering with a lesbian travel company matters

Support from lesbian brands and bars harks back to the queer history of women’s sport leagues
Confluence cover

‘Confluence’ brings Vancouver’s queer history to life

The late Alex Turner and his husband, Lucian Childs, have written a unique and rewarding ode to mid-century gay British Columbia

Gaudy goddess: Self-described backwoods Barbie, Dolly Parton, chats about boobs, Broadway and battling hate

Revisiting Matt Thomas’s interview with the legend, originally published in fab Magazine in 2009

Dolly Parton was all of our chosen family

The superstar, who passed away at age 80, was always there for her queer fans. We collectively mourn her loss
Advertisement