It is widely considered to be the centre of gay life in Toronto featuring a variety of bars, nightclubs, restaurants, cafes, and shops – all with a rainbow-coloured tint to them. When most people think about gay bars in Toronto, “The Village” is the first place that comes to mind. There were many important locations in Toronto’s LGBTQ history scattered throughout the city – something that is reflected in the various options for eating, drinking, and socializing in Toronto today. While many are familiar with the Stonewall Riot in the U.S., Toronto has also had its own historic moments, including the February 6th, 1981 demonstration at the corner of Yonge and Wellesley streets.
Charles Tavern (with the slogan “meet me under the clock” – the clock which can still be seen during renovations on Yonge St.) offered spaces where gays and lesbians would meet in secret. Places like The Continental, Letros Nile Room, and the St. Prior to that people were limited to public parks, washrooms, and “low-key” bars and clubs in which there was always the danger of being found out. Gay bars in Toronto as we know them didn’t really exist until the 1970s.
