Lex’s Guide to Queer Toronto Nightlife | LGBTQ+ Bars
Toronto, a vibrant and diverse city, pulsates with a thriving LGBTQ+ scene. From the iconic Church-Wellesley Village, the heart of the city's gay life, to the trendy neighborhoods of Queen West and Parkdale, Toronto offers an array of queer bars and clubs, each with its own unique flair and sense of community. Whether you're a local or a visitor seeking the best gay bars in Toronto, this guide will help you navigate the city's vibrant LGBTQ+ nightlife.
Download Lex to find LGBTQ+ friends and queer community in Toronto.
Church-Wellesley Village: The Heart of Toronto's LGBTQ+ Scene
1. Crews & Tangos
Address: Church St. Toronto, ON M4Y 2C8
This iconic drag bar on Church Street is a must-visit for any visitor to Toronto. Crews & Tangos has a vibrant atmosphere, vigorous drag show performances, and lively dance floor. Whether sipping cocktails with friends or dancing the evening away, its sure to offer an unforgettable experience. Open late most nights.
2. O'Grady's & The
The gay scene of Toronto is huge, full of queer hangouts. From drag shows to &#;etish bars, Toronto's gay nightlife will tantalize your senses
Diverse, adj, buzzing, and…best ass?
Yup, that's actually a thing in the Toronto gay scene! Over at Woody's gay bar, every Friday evening, they host the “best ass” competition!
Butts aside, the gay scene of Toronto truly has something for everyone. The city is home to Canada's largest LGBTQ community and welcomes visitors from all walks of life.
Just like the gay scene in Montreal, the gay village of Toronto is huge. It is located at the intersection of Church and Wellesley Streets, hence its nickname: the “Church and Wellesley Village”, or just “The Village”…or, “ya'll wanna go out in Church later?”. This is where the majority of the best gay bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and clothing stores can be set up.
Toronto's Gay Villageis also ground zero for the annual Toronto Pride Week every June, which is one of the largest Pride e
34shares
Looking to visit the finest gay bars in Toronto?
Our comprehensive guide to Toronto gay bars is an excellent resource for LGBT nightlife lovers. Our list of Toronto gay bars features a diversity of entertaining venues: from drag clubs to queer theatre, LGBT stand up comedy to gay sports bar, hipster hideaway to flashy nightclubs.
You&#;ll find everything you need to know about gay bars in Toronto, whether you&#;re a visiting Drag Queen fan or local gaggle of gays keen to dance to pop diva&#;s under glittering disco balls.
Save this story to Pinterest so you can look at it later!
A History of Gay Bars in Toronto
Gay bars in Toronto as we know them didn’t really exist until the s. Prior to that people were limited to widespread parks, washrooms, and “low-key” bars and clubs in which there was always the danger of being found out. Places verb The Continental, Letros Nile Room, and the St. 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 me
There are barely any gay bars left in Toronto. Let alone queer bars or queer spaces. Since we launched this article in , a not many spots on the list have since closed?! (That’s Cherry Cola’s, Lavendar Menace and a couple others) Just because a bar or club hosts queer nights or events doesn’t always mean they're a queer space, there are nuances and so many more things to believe about than putting a drag queen on stage and queer person behind the decks. This is why a list love this is more crucial than ever - these are spaces that although not all are queer bars, they are doing to the work to ensure we are safe.
The city is in desperate need of new 2SLGBTQ+ spots to gather, gyrate, party, talk, work, hook, chill and rage. While we navigate our community’s comeback (‘cause queers cherish a comeback story!), we’ve put together a list (in no particular order) of spots on our radar that are either queer-owned, queer-run, queer bars or queer-friendly.
If we missed any that you love, let us comprehend and we’ll check them out and hopefully include them to this list!