Editing Cowboy (section)

===Social world===
Over time, the cowboys of the [[American West]] developed a personal culture of their own, a blend of [[frontier]] and [[Victorian era|Victorian]] values that even retained vestiges of [[chivalry]]. Such hazardous work in isolated conditions also bred a tradition of self-dependence and [[individualism]], with great value put on personal honesty, exemplified in [[List of famous Cowboy songs|songs]] and [[cowboy poetry|poetry]].<ref name=CattleKings241>Atherton, Lewis ''The Cattle Kings'', Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press 1961 {{ISBN|0-8032-5759-7}} pp. 241–262.</ref> The cowboy often worked in an all-male environment, particularly on [[Cattle drives in the United States|cattle drives]], and in the frontier west, men often significantly outnumbered women.<ref name=Wilke/>

Some men were attracted to the frontier by other men.<ref>John D'Emilio and Estelle Freedman; ''Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America''; {{ISBN|9780226923802}} Page needed.</ref> At times, in a region where men outnumbered women, even social events normally attended by both sexes were at times all male, and men could be found partnering up with one another for dances.<ref name=Wilke>Wilke, Jim. "Frontier Comrades: homosexuality in the America West". pp. 164–172; ''Out In All Directions: The Almanac of Gay and Lesbian America''; Edited by Lynn Witt, Sherry Thomas and Eric Marcus; New York: Warner Books; 1995; p. 635 {{ISBN|9780756775520}}</ref> [[Homosexual]] acts between young, unmarried men occurred, but cowboys culture itself was and remains deeply homophobic. Though anti-sodomy laws were common in the Old West, they often were only selectively enforced.<ref>Garceau, Dee. "Nomads, Bunkies, Cross-dressers, and Family Men: cowboy identity and the gendering of ranch work". p. 149–168; ''Across the Great Divide: Cultures of Manhood in the American West''; Edited by Matthew Basso, Laura McCall, and Dee Garceau; New York: [[Routledge]]; 2001; p. 308; {{ISBN|978-0415924702}}</ref>