User:Kth.wang/sandbox

Gender practices
As the California Gold Rush brought a disproportionate population of men and set an environment of experimental lawlessness away from the bounds of standard society, conventional American gender roles came into question. In the absence of women, these migrant young men were made to reorganize their social and sexual practices, leading to the cross-gender and cross-dressing. Dance events were a notable social space for cross-dressing, where a piece of cloth (such as handkerchiefs or sackcloth patches) would denote a woman. But past social events, subverted gender expectations continued on into domestic duties as well. Though cross-dresssing occurred most frequently with men as women, the reverse happened as well. Many men were 'found out' to be female and reported in local newspapers.

These miners and merchants of various genders and gendered appearances, encouraged by the social fluidity and limited population of the Wild West, shaped the beginnings of San Francisco's prominent queer history.

Gender practices and sexuality
Disproportionate amount of men who came to explore gold rush (miners, speculators, merchants) influenced the rising gay culture in san Francisco gold rush transformed SF into a "vibrant and opulent" city that encouraged lawlessness