Abstract
With fame there are always two sides to the coin, the reality and the myth. Calamity Jane, a figure from the Western United States was more known through the tall tales she and others promoted about her life than the accurate facts. From her iterations in dime novels to her depictions on the golden and silver screen, Calamity Jane has evolved into representing a persona rather than an actual figure. Known for wearing buckskins primarily from the 1870s to 1890s, Martha Canary, the woman behind the moniker, became widely associated with her ostensibly masculine choice in clothing. This has caused adaptations to “queer” her an aspect which has continuously developed and evolved for each Calamity Jane figure. By “queering” Calamity Jane for an audience, this allows an insight into the legacy of Calamity and how queer audiences have continued to identify with this figure