Gay Toronto the 1970s | Page 3 | UrbanToronto

Contents:

• GAY
• 12 OF THE HOTTT GAY BARS TORONTO FOR STEAMY NIGHTS
• GAY TORONTO THE 1970S
• GAY TORONTO
• THE 5 BEST TORONTO GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS TORONTO
• TORONTO GAY DISTRICT: THE VILLAGE

GAY

One of the largt and longt-lastg gay dance clubs Toronto, this Sherbourne Street super-club went through a number of evolutns as spurred the lol mastreamg of gay culture durg the ’80s and ’90s. History: The story of Boots, one of Toronto’s bt-known and longt-lastg gay dance clubs, begs 1980 at the Waldorf Astoria apartment buildg.

Photo by Joan Anrson, urty of the Canadian Lbian & Gay Archiv. Image urty of Canadian Lbian & Gay Archiv.

Bob Harrison De, known simply as “Bob Harrison” durg his DJ days, rells that Boots, like many gay bars of the time, was ially a “stand-and-stare cise bar for men. Why was important: Boots opened at a time when gay bars were reasonably plentiful, largely based on or near Yonge Street, but there was not yet a centralized Gay Village. Boots and Bud’s also opened a mere half-year after the Febary 1981 police raids on four gay bathho that rulted over 300 arrts.

12 OF THE HOTTT GAY BARS TORONTO FOR STEAMY NIGHTS

Large related protts helped spark a strong gay-and-lbian rights movement this cy and beyond. For years before, bars that were gog unr would ‘go gay’ for the fal months, but gay bars were beg more rpectable, cleaner, and nicer.

“Unfortunately, unlike Montreal and Vanuver, gay bars Toronto—other than Stag—didn’t spend money on sound and lights. Convcg Boots to pay a lightg person was a victory, as was unheard of gay bars Toronto before that, except at Stag and Charly’s [dis atop the St. The were humble begngs for a bar that would bee a gay Toronto stutn.

Its succs had a profound effect on the few other gay bars, and changed the landspe of gay Toronto those days. Boots was his first gay bar, and would later bee his place of employment. Posters urty of Canadian Lbian & Gay Archiv.

GAY TORONTO THE 1970S

He scrib algs wh Rick Stenhoe and his then-new “silent partners who weren’t volved the club or the gay muny. “Everybody was gog there, the tun were hot, and there was a real sense of eedom—pecially sce we were really makg headway wh gay rights then.

“I’m not sure when Rick Stenhoe beme sole owner, but his dream was a boutique gay hotel, ” says Storey. This trend ntued as Matchett and Storey spearhead Boots and Bud’s most radil transformatn yet: to Boots Warehoe, Toronto’s largt gay dance club of the time, and the Kurbash, an unabashed sleaze bar, plete wh a maze, gargoyle glory hol, and a shower. “It had somethg that is ultimately important gay bars—flow.

GAY TORONTO

To me, they were and are the generatn of gay men that has fed our strengths and gave digny to our muny. “Boots wasn’t aaid to be a gay bar and we played ‘gay dance mic, ’” summariz Storey.

THE 5 BEST TORONTO GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS TORONTO

It really turned me on to the ‘new hoe’ scene, ” says Harris, who observ that by 1994, “hoe—real hoe—was fally beg huge the gay scene. Harris pots to the rise of gay Toronto DJs like Stt Cairns and Mark Fal, both of whom played at Boots Warehoe for brief perds.

“It was like another whole new generatn was movg to the gay dance-club scene aga—somethg I’d already seen happen when the 1980s generatn took over om the ’70s dis generatn, ” Harris adds. “The Akbaralis always claimed ‘not to have a problem’ wh homosexualy, but never tend to keep the bar long anyway, ” adds Storey. “After DJg the gay scene for 26 years, I n hontly say that Boots Warehoe was my all-time favoure club to play at, ” he says.

Thank you to participants Ala Plamondon, Alberto Zara, Barry Harris, Bob Harrison De, Brent Storey, Casey McNeill, and Gregg Matchett, as well as to Stt Cairns, the late Rick Bébout for his Promiscuo Affectns diari, and the Canadian Lbian & Gay Archiv. Pri isn’t over after June 30 — celebrate your urage and nnect wh the LGBTQ+ muny year-round at the most fabulo gay bars Toronto. Historilly, gay bars Toronto have served as safe spac where queer liv uld exist unapologetilly.

TORONTO GAY DISTRICT: THE VILLAGE

Toronto's gay bars are tertwed wh joy and acceptance, and many of them rema a fundamental part of the cy's queer history.

While the bars and rtrants are acceptg of everyone, 's important for alli to remember that first and foremost, Toronto's gay bars are jt that — a safe place for the LGBTQ+ muny. Toronto's gay bars provi safe spac for LGBTQ+ folks and a rip-roarg time for everyone. From live drag performanc and viewg parti to amazg events, the gay bars Toronto are brimmg wh good there are we bars, rtrants and hotels that host special nights and pop-ups, there is nothg que like fdg muny Church-Wellley’s Village.

It is here you’ll fd a plethora of gay bars, bookshops, and muny spac that have been the centre of queer history.