Younger generations often don’t believe it when they’re told about the days when various rules, especially laws concerning booze and sex, combined with uptight attitudes, made Toronto a bit of a dull place compared to other North American big-city peers like Montreal, New York or Chicago. Horrifying police raids on queer spaces—most notably on gay bathhouses in 1981 and on the women-run Pussy Palace in 2000—didn’t help that reputation.
Oh, how things have changed. In the first 20 years of the 21st century, the population of Canada’s biggest city grew tremendously, turning the Toronto metropolitan region into a mega melting pot of 6.6 million people. It’s gotten wilder, more glamorous, racier, more colourful—and more expensive. About 47 percent of people living in the city are immigrants—there’s probably not a cuisine from anywhere in the world you can’t find somewhere in the Six, or a language you won’t hear spoken on the subway.
The 21st century has also dramatically transformed the look and feel of Toronto, as downtown parking lots and brick commercial street fronts have been swept aside for glass-walled skyscrapers. New neighbourhoods have been built from scratch, like the South Core, around the Scotiabank Arena, while others have been recycled out of old industrial land, like the Instagrammable Distillery District, which used to be, well, a distillery.
All these new people, and all this development, have had an effect on LGBTQ2S+ life in the city. Rising rents, changing demographics and encroaching construction have made it hard to run niche businesses in the core—there’s hardly a place left anymore to put a dance club. But the city has become extraordinarily liberal and inclusive—it’s something Torontonians love to boast about. The social and political embrace of LGBTQ2S+ people over the last few decades (only the most outlandishly right-wing leaders demonize queers anymore) has made it comfortable for LGBTQ2S+ people to live and play almost anywhere in the city, even the suburbs.
Pretty much every summer weekend, Toronto hosts at least one major festival that involves street closures, beer gardens and meat on a stick. Pride Toronto, held each June, has, over the last 20 years, become the biggest of these, and one of the world’s biggest Pride celebrations in general. Pride means weekend-long closures of downtown streets, and not just for the festival itself but for its many entertainment stages, the hours-long parade, and also the Trans and Dyke marches.
Its enormous Pride, and its rich queer history, is not the only thing that makes Toronto a special place for LGBTQ2S+ visitors. Out on the Toronto Islands, reachable by ferry or water taxi, the clothing-optional beach at Hanlan’s Point has been officially recognized by the city as a “historically queer space.” On summer weekends, these modest stretches of sand can be as crowded as a nightclub dancefloor at two a.m., full of guys in skimpy, brightly covered bathing suits who, after a few drinks, start wandering the trails in the nearby woods. (There’s a more mixed, women-friendly crowd at the north end of the beach.) On summer evenings, Hanlan’s can be a chill place to meet up with friends or watch the sunset with a lover.
The Gay Village, whose main commercial strip runs along Church Street between Isabella and Carlton streets, has a wide mix of gay and gay-friendly venues for eating, drinking and socializing, including several places to dance. Though it’s quieter during the day, it can be a zoo on weekend evenings, especially in the summer. For bigger, flashier partying, visitors might have to check out what local promoters are doing; like many big cities, a lot of the cool events are held weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually, and at offbeat venues, often outside the downtown core. The website Yohomo.ca is a great resource for what’s happening when and where.
Despite all the “gay fun” Toronto offers, it’s much more than just a party boy. In fact (sorry, rest of Canada), Toronto is the national English-language centre for art, performance, literature, cinema, entertainment, media and sport. Many of its major institutions are assertively inclusive of LGBTQ2S+ culture and queer patrons. A visitor who spends more than a few days in the city is going to see so many rainbow flags, see the names of so many queer artists and performers in exhibitions and on stages, that they’ll grow numb to them.
If your idea of a vacation is not running from museum to musical to party to festival, Toronto has many charming neighbourhoods perfect for strolling around, having a bite, grabbing a coffee and buying cool stuff. Though the downtown core has a generic concrete-and-glass North American city vibe (that’s why so many movies and TV shows are shot here), you don’t have to walk, bike or take transit far to find one-of-a-kind neighbourhoods like Cabbagetown, Kensington Market, Yorkville, West Queen West or Little Italy.
Most of what a visitor wants to see is bounded by the waterfront to the south, High Park to the west, Bloor Street to the north and the Don Valley to the east, though keeners will find several reasons to cross these boundaries.
Pride
Pride Toronto (events throughout the month of June, but downtown takeover from June 28 to 30, 2024). Toronto’s first modest Pride march was held in 1981. These days, the multimillion-dollar event attracts hundreds of thousands of people and has a parade that takes hours to pass. The official entertainment stages—all free—are along Church Street, which is pedestrianized for the weekend. But the festival has grown so big, some of the best events are not officially hosted by Pride Toronto. One of the most popular is the Green Space Festival (June 26 to 30, 2024), hosted in Barbara Hall Park by The 519 Community Centre (519 Church St., Toronto), which is one of the biggest and most important LGBTQ2S+ community centres in the country. Green Space doesn’t charge a cover either. Circuit boys will want to check out ticketed events like the Prism Festival (June 27 to July 1, 2024), while scruffier guys might like Pitbull (June 28 and 29). But there are, frankly, too many Pride parties to list here.
What to see and do
The CN Tower (290 Bremner Blvd., Toronto). Let’s get some obvious things out of the way. If this is your first trip to Toronto, you’re probably going to want to go up. ’Nuff said. The other seemingly essential attraction for first-time visitors (we say this with an eye roll) is Casa Loma (1 Austin Terrace, Toronto), an early 20th century castle-style mansion that’s more interesting on the outside than it is on the inside (unless there’s a good special exhibit on display). If you really want to see how rich Torontonians lived in the early 20th century, walk across the street from Casa Loma to Spadina Museum (285 Spadina Rd., Toronto), a mansion-turned-museum with a beautifully restored interior.
Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., Toronto). One of the largest art museums in North America, the AGO usually has at least one blockbuster show on display that everybody’s talking about, and it’s often got a queer bent (in recent years, it’s hosted exhibits of the works of Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and David Hockney). But the AGO also has a couple more less-buzzy-but-still-intriguing special exhibitions, as well as a massive permanent collection. West of the core, the Museum of Contemporary Art (#100, 158 Sterling Rd., Toronto) doesn’t have much of a permanent collection, but its well-curated special exhibitions are a good way to take the pulse of the contemporary art scene both in Toronto and globally. The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (231 Queens Quay W., Toronto), which is on the waterfront, also has smart (and often queer) special exhibitions.
Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park, Toronto). As the kind of museum that parents take kids to, to see dinosaur fossils, Egyptian mummies and Indigenous totem poles, there’s not as much queer content here as you’ll find in an art museum. But homosexuals who love objets d’art from all eras and from all over the globe will find some delightful pieces in their Department of Art and Culture.
Toronto Islands (reachable by three ferry routes from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at 11 Queens Quay W., Toronto, or by water taxi from various waterfront locations). This U-shaped car-free group of islands is home to three key attractions: a small residential community on Ward’s Island, whose residents live in adorable hobbit-style homes; the landscaped parklands of Centre Island, beloved by families for picnic outings; and a clothing-optional beach at Hanlan’s Point, whose biggest fans are gay and bi men. In fact, the city recognizes Hanlan’s Point Beach as a historically queer space, which means it will consult with the local LGBTQ2S+ community regarding any changes to the space or policies that may affect it. There are currently two distinct Hanlan’s beaches (this can change depending on the water levels of Lake Ontario), and both attract large numbers of gay and bi men each summer. One, “old” Hanlan’s, is closer to the airport and is the official clothing-optional one. The second has been recently redeveloped by the city, so it’s bigger, and is not officially clothing-optional—though you might not think that if you take a look around on summer weekends. Anyone who doesn’t identify as a gay man might be more comfortable on the end of “old” Hanlan’s that’s closer to the airport. To reach either, take the ferry or a water taxi to Hanlan’s Point terminal and follow the signs to the clothing-optional beach—about a 12-minute walk to “old” Hanlan’s, a 15-minute walk to “new” Hanlan’s. The route has recently been painted with the Progress flag colours. On summer weekend afternoons, they’re both as busy, tipsy and flirty as a nightclub. Additionally, there are cruisy trails through the woods that run behind the two beaches. For a more chill vibe, come on a weekday evening. Visitors might notice that the Island Airport is right next to Hanlan’s, and that there’s a tunnel from the mainland to the airport. But, no, you can’t use the tunnel to get to the beach. A fence and security system prevents anyone from entering or exiting the airport from the rest of the island.
Distillery District. Opened in 2003 in what was a 19th century distillery, this picturesque micro neighbourhood has cobblestone streets lined with brick industrial buildings that have been repurposed into restaurants, pubs, coffeeshops, galleries, offbeat shops and a notable theatre company, Soulpepper. During its annual Toronto Christmas Market in December, and with other special events, it can get very crowded.
St. Lawrence Market (92–95 Front St. E., Toronto). A public market was established here in 1803, when Toronto was still the newly founded British colonial town of York, so any visit to the St. Lawrence Market—with its fancy meats, grab-and-go meals, colourful produce and souvenirs—is a visit back in time. The original building was damaged in a fire, so the current structure dates back to 1851. The snapshot-worthy St. Lawrence Hall (157 King St. E., Toronto), a couple of minutes’ walk away, opened the same year.
Kensington Market (roughly bound by College Street, Spadina Avenue, Dundas Street, and Denison and Bellevue avenues). Unlike the covered building that is St. Lawrence Market, Kensington is a commercial district with a distinctly countercultural vibe. It’s constantly morphing yet always bohemian, which is part of its appeal. Waves of immigrants starting new lives in Canada have made their mark here—you’ll find authentic Jamaican patties, Chilean empanadas, El Salvadoran pupusas and Chinese groceries among the vintage shops, gifty boutiques, pubs and restaurants. Yes, you can hang out here even if you don’t have a tattoo.
West Queen West. Once you’ve crossed University Avenue on Queen West, you’re on the most commercial strip of Toronto’s most famous street, where you’ll find lots of national and international fashion brands. It’s a great area for buying cool running shoes and having a smoothie. It’s here you’ll find Graffiti Alley—an alley full of, um, graffiti—just south of Queen between Spadina and Portland. But keep going west. Once you’ve crossed Bathurst, you’re officially in West Queen West, where the shopping is more indie and the culture is definitely queerer. Even if you’re not in shopping/eating/drinking mode, you can hang out in Trinity Bellwoods Park, where hipsters of all orientations and gender identities gather when the weather is good.
The Toronto International Film Festival (September 5 to 15, 2024) and the Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival (May 24 to June 1, 2024). An avalanche of celebrities and glamour, TIFF, perhaps even more than Pride, is what puts Toronto on the map internationally. And there’s always some queer content in its programming and its party lineup. But if you want a deeper celebration of LGBTQ2S+ cinema, Inside Out is one of the biggest and best film festivals in the world dedicated to queer culture. And they throw great parties.
Where to stay
Downtown
Chelsea Hotel (33 Gerrard St. W., Toronto). With almost 1,600 guest rooms, the Chelsea is Canada’s biggest hotel—the lobby is often a sea of tour groups. The rooms are decent and reasonably priced, but the real reason you might want to stay here is the location, which is a short walk from the Village and from the shopping mecca known as CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
W Toronto (90 Bloor St. E., Toronto). Formerly a garden-variety Marriott, this property was refurbished and opened as one of the chain’s trend-setting (and LGBTQ2S+-friendly) W hotels in 2022. Cool design is a signature of the brand, as are the communal spaces designed for mixing and mingling.
Courtyard Toronto Downtown (475 Yonge St., Toronto). No, you can’t stay overnight inside the bars of Toronto’s Village. But this affordable Marriott property, one of the world’s largest Courtyard hotels, is about a five-minute walk from most of them, so it’s the next best thing.
Fairmont Royal York (100 Front St. W., Toronto). This stately railway hotel has lots of stories to tell. Though there’s history everywhere you look, a multimillion dollar renovation of the lobby, completed in 2019, has given it a much more contemporary feel. The Library Bar has so much old-world charm, you’ll feel like you’re in a murder mystery novel. They offer decent Pride discounts on rooms.
West
Gladstone House (1214 Queen St. W., Toronto). An artsy hangout since 1889, this historic hotel is probably better known as an LGBTQ2S+-friendly restaurant, bar, lounge and event space than as a place to stay (we’ll list it again in our “Where to party” section). New owners completely renovated the building and relaunched in 2021. The location is excellent for visitors wanting to stay in the west, and each of the rooms has a unique design.
Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. W., Toronto). A little more upscale, sleek and on-trend than Gladstone House, the Drake is also a West Queen West hipster institution that’s better known for its restaurant, rooftop bar and event space than for its hotel rooms—but it has them, and they’re cool. They host a popular drag brunch every Saturday.
Ace Hotel Toronto (51 Camden St., Toronto). When you consider the convenient location—close to Queen Street West, Chinatown and King West—you ask yourself, why did it take an American brand to think of this as a perfect spot for a hotel? And not until 2022? Well, those Ace people are pretty savvy and have bestowed Toronto with a hip place for equally savvy travellers.
East
The Broadview Hotel (106 Broadview Ave., Toronto). What used to be one of the sleazier places on Toronto’s east side reopened in 2018 after a $25-million renovation as something much more elegant. Now it’s probably the coolest place to stay on the east side (or anywhere in the city, really), with spacious and well-appointed rooms. It’s also got great spaces for eating, drinking and events. The neighbourhood, located just across the Don Valley from downtown, has gotten nicer, too; there are lots of shops and restaurants to browse.
Where to eat
Whether you’re downtown or in the ’burbs, Toronto has an amazing array of food for all tastes and price points. It’s a fool’s game to try to be comprehensive. Eighty-one of the city’s restaurants are listed in the Michelin Guide, 15 of them with one or two stars. So we’re focusing on neighbourhoods you’re likely to be spending time in, as well as queer-owned and queer-frequented establishments. In the core, you’re likely to find more chain restaurants. If you’re looking for indie spots, head west, east or north.
The Village
The Village on Church Street has several places where you can grab a burger and a beer, often while watching a drag performance. Reliable choices include O’Grady’s Restaurant on Church (518 Church St., Toronto), Hair of the Dog Neighbourhood Pub & Restaurant (425 Church St., Toronto) and The Churchmouse: A Firkin Pub (475 Church St., Toronto).
For something less pub-y in the Village, there’s The Cherie Bistro (538 Church St., Toronto), which does a good brunch; Sambucas on Church (489 Church St., Toronto), which does good Italian; Si Lom Thai Bistro (534 Church St., Toronto), which does good Thai; and Kintaro Izakaya (459 Church St., Toronto), which does good Japanese tapas.
Not too far from Church Street, The Keg Mansion (515 Jarvis St., Toronto) is a particularly posh location of a popular steakhouse chain, while Red Cranberries (601 Parliament St., Toronto) has a dedicated following for its friendly, unpretentious atmosphere and globetrotting menu. House on Parliament (454 Parliament St., Toronto) is a gastro-pub in an old Victorian house that’s always crammed with queers.
We’ll list the world’s oldest LGBTQ2S+ book store again in our shopping section, but Glad Day Bookshop (499 Church St., Toronto) is also a great place to grab a light meal, coffee or cocktail; they host a drag brunch every Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. that’s attended by queer and straight people alike.
Yorkville
The Hogtown iteration of the global chain Eataly (Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St. W., Toronto) has four restaurants and 10 bars/counters, as well as a market, to tempt your tastebuds. Trattoria Nervosa (75 Yorkville Ave., Toronto) is just one of the cool, casual Italian places run by Toronto restaurant impresario Janet Zuccarini. For something even more relaxed, try Hemingway’s Restaurant and Bar (142 Cumberland St., Toronto) or The Pilot (22 Cumberland St., Toronto), which is known for its rooftop patio, jazz performances and as a place where PR people take their clients.
Bloor West
First stop is Levant Pizza (899 Bloor St. W, Toronto). This gay-owned place puts a Middle-Eastern spin on Sicilian-style pizza. A little farther west on Bloor, queer women–owned Bar Neon (1226 Bloor St. W., Toronto) has Mediterranean-inspired light meals—and a thing for oysters; they also have a cozy back patio that’s a fun summer hangout. Close to High Park, Roncesvalles Avenue has lots of cool places to eat and shop. Queer woman–owned Bar Bacan (369 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto) serves authentic Argentine and Venezuelan cuisine.
College and Queen
At La Bartola (588 College St., Toronto), Michelin-starred openly gay chef Ivan Castro serves plant-based Mexican food. Banu (777 Queen St. W., Toronto) is owned by three siblings originally from Iran, one of whom is queer; they serve many Iranian classics. Miss Pippa’s (1158 College St., Toronto) probably counts more as a retail space, but this gay-owned business also does coffee, beer and wine.
The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. W., Toronto), which we mentioned in our “Where to stay” section, has several eating options, including its funky main dining room, and hosts a popular drag brunch every Saturday.
North of Bloor
Local queers, don’t shake your heads—there are nice things north of Bloor! In fact, there’s queer-owned Lox + Schmear (1030 St. Clair Ave. W., Toronto), which is a small-batch fish smokehouse.
Where to party
The most dependable area for a queer ole time is the Village, which runs along Church Street between Isabella and Carlton streets. It would not be a surprise if a study revealed there were more drag queens here per square inch than anywhere else in the world.
The Village venues aren’t huge, though, so larger dance parties, or parties that cater to particular tastes, are often held in other areas of the city, and these one-off or occasional venues are changing all the time. It’s worth consulting a resource like Yohomo.ca to see if there’s an appealing special event or club night that’s happening during your visit.
The spots we mention beyond the Village can be mostly categorized as queer-run and/or queer-friendly, though, again, the right events and club nights can render them almost 100 percent LGBTQ2S+.
The Gay Village
Woody’s/Sailor (465–467 Church St., Toronto). The essential venue that most personifies Toronto’s Gay Village, Woody’s opened in 1989 and was used as a location for the first season of the U.S. version of the TV show Queer as Folk (then they built a studio version). No matter what night of the week or day of the year (Christmas Day evening is particularly busy), you’ll find a lively crowd and friendly, sexy bartenders. Though there can be a drag show here almost any day of the week, it gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights. What you won’t find here, except during Pride and on special occasions, is dancing—it’s a pub and show bar, not a club. Sailor is just a part of Woody’s that’s quieter and farther from the drag shows. Never a cover.
Black Eagle (457 Church St., Toronto). Though it does follow in the worldwide Eagle tradition of being a place for leathermen and bears, Toronto’s Black Eagle is very much guided by its monthly/weekly theme nights—Grapefruit attracts a crowd of twinkling gays that love dancing up a sweat to pop divas, while Service attracts horny guys who care more about getting busy with their fellow patrons than what the DJ is playing. They’ll even host poetry nights and book launches. Home to Church Street’s only dark room, the place has a sexy vibe any night of the week. In the summer, they serve burgers and hot dogs on the rooftop patio. Cover varies from night to night and is usually charged after 9 or 10 p.m.
Crews & Tangos (508 Church St., Toronto). A truly multipurpose space. On the main floor, they have drag in the front and dancing in the back. Then another dancefloor upstairs, this one geared more toward women. The crowd is young, mixed and ready to party as loudly as they can. Always a cover.
Flash on Church (463 Church St., Toronto). This feisty little club has something for everybody, especially if you like drag, Latin music nights and male strippers (the latter attraction operates out of the upstairs lounge—downstairs is less male-dominated). Shows of all kinds, and dancing.
Pegasus On Church (489B Church St., Toronto). For gays who get a buzz from competition, this laid-back bar has pool tables, trivia, bingo and viewing parties for competition shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Survivor. Toronto has many LGBTQ2S+ sports leagues and many of them will meet up here after a game or for special events.
Tallulah’s Cabaret at Buddies in Bad Times (12 Alexander St., Toronto). Though it’s mostly known as the biggest and longest-running queer theatre in the world—and you should see a play here if you can, during your visit—Buddies also hosts dance parties Wednesday through Sunday. The crowd and music depend on the promoter, but generally they’re a bit artiser than what you’ll find at other Village bars.
The Drink (459 Church St., Toronto). Known for its pizza, its drag shows and its swellegant regulars, this is a great place for gangs of friends to descend upon after work, then crawl home from at closing time.
Beyond the Village
Freakin’ Awesome Gay Stuff (venues vary, often at The Lair, 240 Parliament St., Toronto). Hosting themed parties pretty much every week or two, Freakin’ Awesome’s array of events can be ranked from mild to wild. All-inclusive LGBTQ2S+ parties like Fruitcake and Rewind are more flirty than cruisy. But all-male parties like Bare, Naked-sh and Thirst Trap are naughtier. They’re trying out new themes all the time, so check out the website for the schedule.
Sweaty Betty’s (13 Ossington Ave., Toronto). This beloved West Queen West establishment spells dive bar with a big Q. The staff are as friendly as they are cool—you’ll see nonbinary hipsters brushing up against guys in suits and nobody blinks an eye. If the weather is good, the patio is a must.
Gladstone House (1214 Queen St. W., Toronto). An artsy hangout since 1889, this historic hotel has a solid reputation as an LGBTQ2S+-friendly restaurant, bar, lounge and event space. New owners completely renovated the building and relaunched in 2021.
Mama’s Liquor & Lounge (1602 Dundas St. W., Toronto). This dive bar occasionally hosts LGBTQ2S+ parties. Even if it’s a more mellow evening, it’s a great, dark place to have a drink before attending a queer-oriented concert or party at The Baby G (1608 Dundas St. W., Toronto), which has a serious propensity for non-straight entertainment.
Where gay and bi men can find fun
Steamworks (540 Church St., Toronto). This sleek, dark bathhouse for men who have sex with men is packed on weekends—and busy many other days of the week, too. With wet and dry steam rooms, a hot tub and a gym with actual working equipment, you might almost have a spa day here—if only people would stop luring you into the dark room.
Spa Excess (105 Carlton St., Toronto). The largest bathhouse in Toronto is known for hosting a variety of parties that attract specific crowds—BDSM-themed events by organizer Rough House are particularly popular. But before you say, “That’s too much for me,” consider their college, Asian, Latino and naked nights. They’ve got a wet and dry sauna, a hot tub and a rooftop deck.
Splash Steam and Sauna (1610 Dundas St. W., Toronto). Located in Toronto’s Portuguese neighbourhood, and open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., this bathhouse caters to guys who might like to have a little fun with other guys on their way home from work.
Black Eagle (457 Church St., Toronto). No matter the theme night happening downstairs (and maybe it’s the monthly Naked Night), the dark room is open if the Eagle is.
Freakin’ Awesome Gay Stuff (venues vary, often The Lair, 240 Parliament St., Toronto). At themed parties like Bare, Naked-ish and Thirst Trap, there can be as much action in the back rooms as on the dancefloor.
Where to shop
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (220 Yonge St., Toronto, between Dundas and Queen streets). Because this atrium-style downtown mall is such a tourist destination, it has a bubbly fun atmosphere that’s entertaining, even if you’re not spending. The merchants range from very accessible to very high-end (e.g., A&W to Saks Fifth Avenue) and they’ve got not one but two food courts.
Queen West/West Queen West. Queen Street is an appealing commercial street pretty much from end to end. It starts in the east, in a cute area called the Beaches, and goes all the way across the city to its terminus at Roncesvalles Avenue, which is also cute. But there are two stretches that make it famous: the mainstream shopping stretch between University and Spadina avenues, where you’ll find national and international fashion brands; and the countercultural stretch between Spadina and Gladstone avenues, where you’ll find more indie options. We recommend going to Type Books (883 Queen St. W., Toronto), not just because it personifies the cultural spirit of West Queen West but also because it’s located in the epicentre of the West End scene.
Yorkville (roughly bounded by Bloor Street West, Rosedale Valley Road, Hillsboro Avenue and Avenue Road). What used to be the home of Toronto’s counterculture in the 1960s evolved to be its poshest shopping district, the stomping ground of ladies who lunch and the gay men who fawn over them. The big fashion names are mostly along Bloor, but you’ll want to poke around Cumberland Street and Yorkville Avenue for some more up-and-coming brands, maybe stop by the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto (60 Yorkville Ave., Toronto) for a smart cocktail. Incidentally, the Yorkville branch of the Toronto Public Library (22 Yorkville Ave., Toronto) is home to the library’s Pride collection, its most complete collection of LGBTQ2S+ materials (though lots of this material is available at other branches). The Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge St., Toronto) is also in the neighbourood—visitors will want to come here not necessarily for the books but for the dramatic space-age architecture.
Glad Day Bookshop (499 Church St., Toronto). The world’s longest-running LGBTQ2S+ bookstore is a must-visit stop for booklovers and anyone who wants to put their finger on the less nightlife-y side of queer culture. They also host events, including drag brunch on the weekends.
Grapefruit (528 Church St., Toronto). This gay-owned boutique has a well-curated selection of menswear, gift items like home décor and puzzles, and even art.
Blue Banana Market (250 Augusta Ave., Toronto). Right in the middle of the tiny, quirky shops of Kensington Market is this rather large emporium of all things gifty. Divided into collections that might reflect different interests (kitchen stuff, candy) or tastes (pop culture, retro), the only unifying thing about their wares is that it’s all intended to trigger delight in the receiver.
Miss Pippa’s (1158 College St., Toronto). This gay-owned space has gifts, flowers and household items that will cause you to say “cool.” They also serve coffee, beer and wine.
Where to gear up
Out on the Street (551 Church St., Toronto). Three floors of fashion for men who take their looks seriously (i.e., gay guys), they’ve got everything from splashy collared shirts and trendy shorts to jockstraps, bathing suits and harnesses. The brands are actually pretty good. But this is also the store for you if you need lube, sex toys or a T-shirt that humorously implies that hot guys should sit on your face.
The Men’s Room (455 Church St., Toronto). They’ve got fetish gear, gay fashion brands (both slutty and cheeky) and even a barbershop. You can also buy tickets for some big gay parties here.
Northbound Leather (117 Jefferson Ave., Toronto). If you have more sophisticated taste in fetish wear than pink elastic harnesses made in China, then this is your dream shopping experience. They have a devoted following across all sexual orientations (but gay men especially) for their high-quality leather clothing. They also host occasional events, including a pansexual kinky cruise.
