Watch Queens and Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo

Queens and Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo is a gripping and heartwarming documentary that explores the world of gay rodeo and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ cowboys and cowgirls while they compete in traditional rodeo events across the United States. The documentary follows the lives of a handful of riders and ropes us in with their compelling stories, including that of Wade Earp, a descendant of Wyatt Earp and a bull rider in the gay rodeo. Earp is portrayed as a tough and skillful rider who faces both physical and emotional challenges throughout the film. His love for his partner and their family is apparent as he competes against the very best in the sport.

Char Duran is another rider featured prominently in the film. As a rodeo clown, Duran brings levity and humor to the events, balancing out the intensity and emotionally charged performances of the other riders. Her costumes and make-up, inspired by drag queens, add a unique flair to the rodeo that sets it apart from traditional ones. The viewer is led through her personal journey, which includes being a single mother and a lesbian, and how she found a sense of belonging in the gay rodeo community.

Chris Sherman is a participant of the rodeo’s rough stock event and is consistently seen being laid-back and having fun throughout the documentary. Travis Gardner is another rider who is introduced later in the movie, and whose journey to accepting his sexuality and finding a community in the gay rodeo is emotional.

As the title suggests, the documentary spans a year of events and performances, with a focus on their culminating championship event. We are treated to stunning and artistic footage of riders bucked off horses, thrown off bulls, and wrestling steers to the ground. The documentary highlights how participants of the gay rodeo have adapted traditional rodeo events to suit their community’s unique beauty standards and rules. While their events look and feel like traditional rodeos, they have eliminated some of the cruel and brutal realities typically associated with them.

Throughout the movie, we are also introduced to the inner workings of the gay rodeo community, and we get a sense of how it provides a space of acceptance and belonging for LGBTQ+ people while breaking down the traditional masculine stereotypes of cowboys. The camaraderie between fellow riders and their willingness to support one another is shown in the documentary, with moments of the riders being there for each other and banding together, amidst the competitive atmosphere of the sport.

The film’s director, Matt Livdahl, incorporates interviews with activists that shed light on the challenges confronted by LGBTQ+ individuals in the more conservative, traditional rodeo community. It is revealed how these events welcomed gay men and women into the sport and allowed them to compete freely, without discrimination or stigma, paving the way for many LGBTQ+ folks to find a voice through the rodeo.

Overall, Queens and Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo stands out for its honest and moving portrayal of the lives and struggles of the LGBTQ+ rodeo community. With its stunning visuals and gripping rodeo scenes, it will captivate audiences and leave them inspired, entertained, and informed.

Queens and Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo is a 2015 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes.