Mister Cowboy Contest 1973–1974 T-Shirt — Big Town, San Francisco
A throwback to the 1973–1974 Mister Cowboy Contest, this replica tee channels the rambunctious, denim-and-leather spirit of Big Town, one of San Francisco’s great early gay country-western bars. Long before line dancing became a circuit favorite, Big Town hosted some of the rowdiest, most joyful queer competitions in the city — where moustaches, boots, swagger, and charm all carried equal weight.
The Mister Cowboy contests were part beauty pageant, part talent show, part neighborhood spectacle: packed rooms, country hits on the jukebox, and a stage full of men who knew exactly how to work a crowd. It was camp, masculinity, flirtation, and queer community woven together — a moment when San Francisco’s gay bar culture broadened well beyond disco and leather.
