A new exhibit at Halifax’s Maritime Museum explores its history:
When Nova Scotia’s Samuel Cunard founded his iconic ocean liner company in 1840, he had no idea that his massive ships would, in the period following the Second World War, become home to elaborate drag shows and some of the first gay weddings. … That this evolution of gay culture took place on the high seas is no accident. "Economic factors drove these companies to hire large numbers of gay men," says [curator Dan] Conlin. "Passengers enjoyed their witty banter and music shows. [The companies] would gladly turn a blind eye to sexual preference, for profit’s sake."
The Dish 