During the 1960s, she regularly performed in drag in Toronto. Transgender R&B singer Jackie Shane, seen here performing at Ascot Hall, encouraged Toronto to embrace its queerness.
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Photograph courtesy of Russ Strathdee Jackie Shane Any Other Way speculates that the story, while anti-queer on the surface, actually helped gay men discover where (and where not) to go to meet other men. The story was about the staff at the King Edward Hotel trying to keep patrons of Letros Tavern, a gay bar across the street, from frequenting the hotel’s washrooms. In the early 1960s, major papers like the Toronto Star and the Globe And Mail wouldn’t touch the subject of homosexuality, with the exception of publishing articles that had to do with hysteria about the queer community. This headline appeared in Tab, one of many tabloid newspapers that published sensationalized stories during the 1950s and ’60s. Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives “King Edward Hotel Declares War on Letros Queers” The Toronto’s Island beaches have been popular destinations for the gay community since the 1950s, around the time this photo of late activist Philip McLeod (in stripes) and his friends was taken. Thick shrubbery made the beach, like Allan Gardens, an ideal cruising spot, and also attracted the authorities. Occasionally, police monitored the beach from their boat or would walk through and make arrests. Photograph courtesy of Ed Jackson Hanlan’s Point Beach During his stay, he also watched a lacrosse match and ended up giving the media a revealing sound byte: “…That was the first opportunity I ever had of witnessing your national game, and I enjoyed it so much-but can you tell me who that tall, finely built man that played defence for the Torontos is?” Its reputation dates back to 1882, when Oscar Wilde visited the park to deliver a lecture on his tour of North America. Photograph courtesy of John Chuckman Allan GardensĪllan Gardens was an early hot spot for both gay cruising (the trees provided cover for hooking up) and for surveillance (that’s a policeman pictured next to the central fountain).
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Here, a look at some of the book’s most memorable photos. With excerpts from academics, activists, journalists, filmmakers and city councillors, Any Other Way provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of queer Toronto, including early cruising areas, bathhouse raids, and the city’s arts and music scene. “Toronto is so much gayer than it thinks,” says Jane Farrow, one of more than 100 contributors and editors who contributed to the new anthology Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer. Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives This map of “Gay Toronto” originally appeared in The Body Politic, a monthly gay magazine published from 1971 to 1987.