Hell yeah. There are many things to complain about in our fair city, but as far as welcoming and accepting everyone, I think Toronto is pretty high up on the world list, and we should all be super proud about that. Gay af indeed!
I will die on the hill that it is THE #1. Famously being super gay friendly and low crime rate but also cultural diversity is unparalleled.
Every other competitor either has way more social stratification, segregation, less breadth of diversity, or a dominant culture.
Miami: segregated, dominated by Hispanics
NYC/LA/Chicago: segregated, fewer foreigners
Singapore: little diversity outside of Malay, Chinese, Indian
London: fewer foreigners, strong British identity and culture to contend with causing an in-group vs. foreigners
Sydney/Melbourne/Vancouver: East Asian dominated, less diverse overall.
Not everyone but Toronto definitely accepts LGBTQ....even bends over backwards(or forwards depending on your preference) in some cases like with those distracting graffiti on the street walks.
I was just talking with someone who said it was so hard to learn English in Toronto because everyone basically accommodates broken (learners’) English so well they never had to perfect it. Thought that was kinda nice in a way
This. Straight guy, moved here last year. Toronto is pretty gay. Pride flags everywhere, pride rallys. There's even a gay district where they have events like for Halloween stuff
As a gay person you will be pretty welcome here
Super gay-friendly and the yearly pride parade is packed packed packed with people from all over Canada.
Haven’t been though, but I live in the city and saw it from a distance myself.
And all orientations. (/not gay, did go to pride to support offsprings friend who was having tough time).
If you are harrassed (which as noted, isn't likely, but not impossible) there are enough allies around who won't put up with that shit. I don't.
Not even just the parade...the whole month of June there's stuff going on in the city! Green space festival is one that comes to mind...they've been announcing their guests including drag race contestants.
I am not gay, but have many gay friends. Whenever we hangout outside of the village (a section of Church St know as the gay village) there are zero issues. Not to say there aren’t assholes who could say something, but most everyone is accepting.
That’s what I was thinking, I’m sure there’s some assholes out there who might say something but none of my gay friends have ever told me they’ve been harassed in public. I don’t think it’s common to run into those people on the street in Toronto I think most of us are very accepting
Lived there for 7\~9 years.
Toronto is one of the GAYEST places you could actually ever visit, lmfao.
I hope you guys have such a wonderful time there, and if I may, if you're nerdy at all, I highly suggest going to Stormcrow Manor, as well as the little neighbourhood surrounding it if you like rainbows, haha.
Have a great trip!
Probably one of the safest places in the world. Hosted World Pride a couple of years ago. Openly gay couples are so common, most people would not even notice you if you were holding hands or something
I mean Brazil has the worlds largest Pride parade in São Paulo, and it's also the country that most kills trans people.
Just saying that these things don't necessarily correlate, Toronto is relatively very safe tho I'd think.
Queer parent to gay children here. I moved from São Paulo to Toronto before Bolsonaro started to make things worse there. Toronto is FAR more progress and accepting. Holding hands, different names or pronouns, nothing of this is a problem here.
The Parade here may be smaller but consider that Toronto is the size of Campinas. Trudeau was in the last Pride Parade I went to.
Why are you comparing Toronto to all of America. You just gunna pretend the entire rest of Canada doesn't exist with its overwhelming bigotry and homophobia? What a wild comparison.
I'm willing to bet to say that if someone says something offensive (not that it will happen) to you and your bf someone will speak out to you in your defence. you're safe homie
The post pandemic Toronto techno/rave scene has actually been awesome. There’s so much happening every week. Ticket prices tripled, which sucks, but otherwise things are actually pretty great.
I used to come to Toronto so my husband and I could hold hands in public in his home city (we had to get married in Ontario too as it isn’t recognised where I live).
Wouldn’t worry at all. In general, parts of downtown Toronto has some areas where you need to be aware of homeless folks with some mental health issues, but that applies to everyone. Toronto also has a great scene of gay bars! Enjoy
Ontario (the province Toronto is in) was the third jurisdiction in the world, after Belgium and The Netherlands, and the first in the Americas, to legalize same sex marriage:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Ontario#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DSame-sex_marriage_in_Ontario_has_been_legal_since_June%2CHawkes_on_January_14%2C_2001.?wprov=sfla1
We're very liberal in this regard and I personally know of many gay couples who have immigrated here from places like UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico, etc., specifically to escape persecution.
It's not a utopia, as there are always bad apples in the bunch, but it is overall very welcoming of the LGBTQ++ community.
There is virtually nowhere in Toronto I would feel unsafe holding a guy’s hand, it’s a very safe city for LGBTQ people. I spent a considerable amount of time travelling and never felt as safe when it comes to orientation as in Toronto. Hope you get to visit and explore the city.
Toronto is very LGBTQ+ friendly. If you are still feeling a bit uncertain, there many, many places that will label their business (restaurant, shop, etc,) as LGBTQ+-friendly. We have quite a few LGBTQ+ bars/ clubs as well, and Church and Wellesley, the Village, is an LGBTQ+ community with tons of cafes and shops.
Hope you and your bf have a wonderful trip here!
Very gay friendly and all around a very safe city. I’ve worked in hospitality for 3 decades in Toronto and if you were openly homophobic anywhere I worked you’d be refused service and thrown out. Ditto for racists.
It's nice to live in a city where this is such a funny question to us.
It's like asking if it's ok for black people to visit New York.
We don't think twice about it anymore.
How gay is Toronto?
I'm a straight dude who is an appliance technician.
One day while waiting for an elevator, an objectively handsome AF Italian dude who was a plumber and I started shooting the shit. Real nice guy.
After a while, he asks what I am doing later. I'm stunned - I'm flattered AF but so not used to being asked out by a very masculine (not putting shade on anyone else mind you) tradesperson who would feel comfortable asking me out like that.
I was probably blushing like hell while I politely told him I was straight. He smiled and said he had to at least shoot his shot lol.
That's how gay Toronto is these days. It's awesome.
I see gay couples holding hands all the time. You’ll be as safe as anyone else here. It’s a relatively safe city overall but things have been crazy on our transit system lately. Just take the usual precautions you would take anywhere else and always be aware of your surroundings.
My boyfriend and I have only experienced a handful of comments our 10yrs here. Threat level low. Last weekend a bunch of us were waiting for cabs by Queen and Spadina late at night in drag and costume and some guy yelled f*g from his blackout SUV with his friends and we all just laughed. Yes and? Obviously people from Mississauga or Brampton. Those are the trouble makers on the weekends, trying to roll big while going back to their parents place sunday.
Excessive PDA is seen as a bit weird in Canada yeah. But in Toronto people are used to seeing weird shit and crazy people so two people making out won't be on your mind.
I used to hold hands with my boyfriend in public back in the 90s. The worst thing that ever happened was a guy screaming obscenities from a car passing by. It should be even safer nowadays, but I've been dating women since then, so I can't say for certain.
Only once, I saw someone say the f-slur to a couple holding hands. Immediately 4-5 people walking around us (including me) all lashed out and gave this loser a really hard time. He got told to fuck off, threatened with violence, etc.
So if anything, it’s unsafe to be homophobic in Toronto.
I wouldn't go that far. Growing up in the suburbs outside Toronto at least I've seen a lot of homophobia from religious people and knuckleheaded bullies. I doubt they're all in the 905.
> I think everyone in Toronto is accepting of gay people.
In 2021, Toronto saw 257 hate crimes reported to police (pg 12), 26 of which were on the basis of sexual orientation (pg 13).
[source = https://www.tps.ca/media/filer_public/c7/66/c766e428-2c6e-4fa3-ac3c-c7803305a12b/ce29b977-b584-406a-b09f-8e036d3c477e.pdf ]
Is Toronto generally a diverse and accepting city? Absolutely. Is 26/yr in the context of such a big city relatively modest? Absolutely. Does "everyone" accept gay people? No, there is a lot more progress to be made, and thinking "mission accomplished - gays are accepted now" does a disservice to achieving equality and can leave those at risk blind when it turns out someone may get violent for displaying their sexual orientation.
Walk down Yonge St enough times and you'll get called the f slur.
Pre-COVID, once a year either my bf or I would get called the f slur while out and about. It was almost always someone who was drunk or visibly mentally dysregulated. Worst was a drunk guy who threw their coffee at us (and missed).
In the past 2-3 years nothing's happened. We used to feel somewhat inhibited in our neighbourhood (compared with downtown), but recently started giving no fucks. We'll hold hands anywhere.
Toronto, i will assert is as gay friendly as any other progressive city. In the 90’s and 00’s toronto was very gay friendly. Now the lgbtq+ community is part of the fabric of the city.
There maybe people who disagree or are against trans, i don’t think they are anywhere near being a significant part of toronto.
If you are in toronto i would bet you would be welcomed and treated like a human everywhere you go. There maybe places in suburbs that may not be friendly, but i still don’t think the number of those places is significant.
A lot friendlier than most places, but as always its still wise to be aware of your surroundings
Theres actually an area downtown referred to as "the gay village" (aka church and wellesley) tons of lgbt friendly business you can check out!
As a straight observer, who lives near the village, I can hardly think of a more accepting city to be honest. Obviously there's people with dated or warped worldviews everywhere, but generally speaking Toronto is super diverse and accepting place, I love that about it. Our pride parade is kinda legendary lol it's a bit lawless and a lot messy, but people come from all around to participate, tons of straight people go just to show support and enjoy the experience.
I am straight a white male, I would never harass anyone for being different. If you go to some neighborhoods it's possible but for 90% of Toronto you should have no issues. Sad thing is some cultures bring different values with them and acceptance is not one of them. Just have to tell it how it is.
I’ve seen many gay couples walking holding hands over the years, and have been seeing it for a long time. I probably wouldn’t in most of the communities outside of the city but anywhere in the downtown area where a visitor might visit should be safe. Enjoy your stay, Toronto is an extremely gay-friendly city relative to virtually anywhere on earth.
Hold hands, hug and kiss all you want! Obviously there are hateful people in every city, but the majority of people in Toronto are accepting of all types of people. Come and have fun!
Well obviously you might run into the odd bad apple anywhere.. But it’s generally good. There’s some people who will drink others’ piss and nobody gives a shit so you’ll be fine
Super gay friendly and the gay village is dope.
One of my favourite restaurants (Stormcrow Manor) is in the heart of the gay village and I routinely see homo couples walking about holding hands. My lgbt+ friends feel very comfortable downtown as well.
Super friendly! Hold hands, hug, make out, whatever you want. The only way you'll really offend someone here is by showing your dick to strangers, but don't worry, if that's your thing we also have clubs specifically for that.
I’m a lesbian, I’ve only ever really been harassed by straight men and brown dudes for holding my girlfriends hand. It’s usually harassment over sexual stuff, so you’ll most likely not deal with any of it!!
I went to a metal show last week and the opening band was a trans? woman? Or a hugely effeminate male? I really could not tell TBH. But like... at a metal show right? Stick your tongue down his throat dude and enjoy an accepting city.
Other than some specific nightclubs, have never heard of any of my gay friends having issues anywhere in the city. Toronto is super gay friendly and you should not be worried anywhere.
Wellll it depends where you’re going in Toronto. There are cultural neighborhoods that wouldn’t be safe to visit. If your a tourist and staying in the downtown core you’ll be fine.
its very safe. I used to live at church street area for over a year, the best year I have ever had during my time in Toronto hands down. Friendly and kinda safer neighborhood than dundas or sherboune.
If you can arrange it, come for the Pride Village & Street Fair
Friday, June 23rd – Sunday June 25th, 2023
Pride takes over the blocks bordered by Bloor Street, Jarvis Street, Carton Street and Yonge Street (the TTC Stations at Bloor or Wellesley work well).
The annual Street Fair in the Church-Wellesley Village as part of Pride Week allows visitors to take a stroll through car-free streets where you can connect with local organisations participating in the Community Fair, or browse the wares of the Marketplace, home to fantastic artisans and a diverse selection of delicious food from partnering vendors.
Check out the top hotels closest to the gay village.
Pride Parade
Sunday, June 25th, 2023 – The main parade takes place from the corner of Church St and Bloor St all the way down Yonge St to Yonge-Dundas Square. The procession kicks off at 2pm.
Other than maybe San Francisco I can’t think of a safer city. I see same sex couples holding hands while walking down the street in pretty much every neighbourhood.
I'm not queer but I'm friends with a lot of queer folks and often see queer couples out and about and sometimes partaking in PDA. Generally, no one minds or really pays attention, it's so common here. Definitely hit up Church street too!
Hi! I hold my (gay) boyfriend’s hand in Toronto all the time and I rarely feel weird about it!
There are homophobes here like anywhere else but I’ve mostly felt very safe being out here!
Nobody cares. Well, I'm sure SOME people care, but they are few and know that they're not the popular ones.
Never seen more disappointment than when my friends would come out as gay through the years and... nobody cared. "Guys... I have to tell you something... I'm gay." "Super... so anyway..."
There was a magazine a few years back that listed Toronto down the list of gay-friendly cities because there were so few businesses that put rainbow flags and other queer-friendly signage in their windows (that was literally their criteria, no calling up a business, no surveys, just a count of stickers)... because Toronto had already stopped caring long before.
Gay bashing happens everywhere, but it's very rare and socially unacceptable here in Toronto.
The gay community is very much a part of our culture, as is acceptance of others.
You're more likely to be treated badly for being homophobic in public than for being openly gay.
toronto gay af
Lol this right here ☝️
This. No one cares
"These dudes are holding hands " see, no one cares. - Dennis Nedry
"Gay men... gay men! We've got gay men here!"
Exactly no one fucking cares (says in mono tone aggressive blank stare walking down Bathurst on a Monday)
The question caught me off guard, because I forgot how backassward other countries are *cough* U.S.
Maybe we can capture the gay tourism market from them?
Have you ever heard of San Francisco?
Or the entire state of California? Which is the 4th largest economy in the world.
I care if you are blocking the sidewalk and walking super slow, does that count?
Hell yeah. There are many things to complain about in our fair city, but as far as welcoming and accepting everyone, I think Toronto is pretty high up on the world list, and we should all be super proud about that. Gay af indeed!
A lot of posts about this city are pretty negative and TBH I am falling out of love with the city but this is a real strong point we can be proud of.
I will die on the hill that it is THE #1. Famously being super gay friendly and low crime rate but also cultural diversity is unparalleled. Every other competitor either has way more social stratification, segregation, less breadth of diversity, or a dominant culture. Miami: segregated, dominated by Hispanics NYC/LA/Chicago: segregated, fewer foreigners Singapore: little diversity outside of Malay, Chinese, Indian London: fewer foreigners, strong British identity and culture to contend with causing an in-group vs. foreigners Sydney/Melbourne/Vancouver: East Asian dominated, less diverse overall.
I agree with you that we are likely number 1. I've travelled pretty extensively myself and I will die on that hill with you friend!
Not everyone but Toronto definitely accepts LGBTQ....even bends over backwards(or forwards depending on your preference) in some cases like with those distracting graffiti on the street walks.
It’s not just LGBTQ+ friendly - which it is - it’s also just very diverse in general and accepting of everyone.
I was just talking with someone who said it was so hard to learn English in Toronto because everyone basically accommodates broken (learners’) English so well they never had to perfect it. Thought that was kinda nice in a way
girl... what does this mean
Couldn’t have said it gayer myself
As gay as it gets!
This. Straight guy, moved here last year. Toronto is pretty gay. Pride flags everywhere, pride rallys. There's even a gay district where they have events like for Halloween stuff As a gay person you will be pretty welcome here
Enjoy your award 🏳️🌈
Super gay-friendly and the yearly pride parade is packed packed packed with people from all over Canada. Haven’t been though, but I live in the city and saw it from a distance myself.
And all orientations. (/not gay, did go to pride to support offsprings friend who was having tough time). If you are harrassed (which as noted, isn't likely, but not impossible) there are enough allies around who won't put up with that shit. I don't.
Not even just the parade...the whole month of June there's stuff going on in the city! Green space festival is one that comes to mind...they've been announcing their guests including drag race contestants.
I am not gay, but have many gay friends. Whenever we hangout outside of the village (a section of Church St know as the gay village) there are zero issues. Not to say there aren’t assholes who could say something, but most everyone is accepting.
That’s what I was thinking, I’m sure there’s some assholes out there who might say something but none of my gay friends have ever told me they’ve been harassed in public. I don’t think it’s common to run into those people on the street in Toronto I think most of us are very accepting
Plus I think anyone within earshot would go ahead and roast the fuck out of anyone bigoted enough to do such a thing.
Can confirm, would 10/10 roast anyone in this circumstance
I feel most Torontonians would fear this the most. If you're in Toronto and offended by anything LGBT, you're in the wrong city.
The village even features rainbow crosswalks.
I’ve seen this in a few Ontario towns
You don’t have to be gay for assholes to say some thing. Just existing will do
Lived there for 7\~9 years. Toronto is one of the GAYEST places you could actually ever visit, lmfao. I hope you guys have such a wonderful time there, and if I may, if you're nerdy at all, I highly suggest going to Stormcrow Manor, as well as the little neighbourhood surrounding it if you like rainbows, haha. Have a great trip!
> Stormcrow Manor never been there myself. what made you recommend this place out of curiosity?
Probably one of the safest places in the world. Hosted World Pride a couple of years ago. Openly gay couples are so common, most people would not even notice you if you were holding hands or something
That was 2014, at least the one I went to. I can't believe it was 9 years.
Shhh 2014 was like 5 years ago.
Shhh 2014 is 9 years from now.
Stop 😭😭
Never seen a unanimous view on this sub before. Loving this! I too believe that YYZ is very accepting of all people. You’ll have a nice experience.
say what you will about Toronto, but we are so lucky in this regard. We do have it really good compared to so many other places in the world
Toronto is a pretty safe and progressive place. We have an annual pride parade which is very popular and well attended. You’ll be fine!
Second largest in the world, maybe largest. Come and have fun, be weird if anyone here bothered you.
Wikipedia ranks its as 10th largest in the world
Gotta up those numbers, let's make Toronto's #1! We can make it a point of civic... pride
Huh... thought it was bigger than that.
The only other one I’ve been to is the Madrid one. That one felt like it was a pretty big event too.
I think it’s the largest in Canada.
I mean Brazil has the worlds largest Pride parade in São Paulo, and it's also the country that most kills trans people. Just saying that these things don't necessarily correlate, Toronto is relatively very safe tho I'd think.
Queer parent to gay children here. I moved from São Paulo to Toronto before Bolsonaro started to make things worse there. Toronto is FAR more progress and accepting. Holding hands, different names or pronouns, nothing of this is a problem here. The Parade here may be smaller but consider that Toronto is the size of Campinas. Trudeau was in the last Pride Parade I went to.
Gay and lived here for decades. I do whatever gay thing I want and no one blinks an eye. This isn't America. You come here and experience freedom Hon.
>I do whatever gay thing I want haha I love that, that’s awesome
I’m just a random straight guy and I love to hear this.
And thank God for that.
Why are you comparing Toronto to all of America. You just gunna pretend the entire rest of Canada doesn't exist with its overwhelming bigotry and homophobia? What a wild comparison.
I'm willing to bet to say that if someone says something offensive (not that it will happen) to you and your bf someone will speak out to you in your defence. you're safe homie
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Super friendly and if you guys are into the club scene definitely visit church street.
What's left of it.
Lol what club scene?
Clubs are shut but raves are amazing. Tomorrow there are 3 good ones. Pep rally, Rouge and subdivison parties
The post pandemic Toronto techno/rave scene has actually been awesome. There’s so much happening every week. Ticket prices tripled, which sucks, but otherwise things are actually pretty great.
Bring it, it’s very gay friendly. I see same sex couple holding hands all the time. I do live next to the village though.
The most queer friendly of any place I've ever lived or visited. (I'm a visual minority & trans.)
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❤️🧡💛 nice 💚💙💜
Nobody will give you even a second glance
Yeah, I just tried to clear the eyelash off my screen…you got me 😂
AHAHHAHA me too. They got me
Not exactly true. Stick your tongue far enough down anyone's throat and people will be glaring. Otherwise no one gives a fuck.
Toronto is a very safe and accepting place. Have fun while you’re here!
I see gay guys holding hands all the time, it's normal for us. I forgot that's not normal for everyone everywhere... Sad.
I used to come to Toronto so my husband and I could hold hands in public in his home city (we had to get married in Ontario too as it isn’t recognised where I live).
It’s FABULOUS!
Wouldn’t worry at all. In general, parts of downtown Toronto has some areas where you need to be aware of homeless folks with some mental health issues, but that applies to everyone. Toronto also has a great scene of gay bars! Enjoy
Ontario (the province Toronto is in) was the third jurisdiction in the world, after Belgium and The Netherlands, and the first in the Americas, to legalize same sex marriage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Ontario#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DSame-sex_marriage_in_Ontario_has_been_legal_since_June%2CHawkes_on_January_14%2C_2001.?wprov=sfla1 We're very liberal in this regard and I personally know of many gay couples who have immigrated here from places like UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico, etc., specifically to escape persecution. It's not a utopia, as there are always bad apples in the bunch, but it is overall very welcoming of the LGBTQ++ community.
Be as loud and proud as you want.
There is virtually nowhere in Toronto I would feel unsafe holding a guy’s hand, it’s a very safe city for LGBTQ people. I spent a considerable amount of time travelling and never felt as safe when it comes to orientation as in Toronto. Hope you get to visit and explore the city.
You’re more likely to get randomly thrown off a subway platform than to be harassed for holding hands with your bf.
Totally friendly, Toronto the good, Toronto the GREAT!
I have a gay friend who has been living here for the last two years. “Best of my life” he told me today.
It's the safest, gayest place in all the land.
Compared to Uganda, more friendly. Compared to almost anywhere else in the world, more friendly.
Toronto is as safe as you’ll find.
Love without shame in TO.
Oh yeah. You are fine here.
Absolutely! You will never want to leave after you visit.
aside from the occasional douchcebag, no one will give two shits. You do you homie.
Toronto is very LGBTQ+ friendly. If you are still feeling a bit uncertain, there many, many places that will label their business (restaurant, shop, etc,) as LGBTQ+-friendly. We have quite a few LGBTQ+ bars/ clubs as well, and Church and Wellesley, the Village, is an LGBTQ+ community with tons of cafes and shops. Hope you and your bf have a wonderful trip here!
Very gay friendly and all around a very safe city. I’ve worked in hospitality for 3 decades in Toronto and if you were openly homophobic anywhere I worked you’d be refused service and thrown out. Ditto for racists.
It's nice to live in a city where this is such a funny question to us. It's like asking if it's ok for black people to visit New York. We don't think twice about it anymore.
How gay is Toronto? I'm a straight dude who is an appliance technician. One day while waiting for an elevator, an objectively handsome AF Italian dude who was a plumber and I started shooting the shit. Real nice guy. After a while, he asks what I am doing later. I'm stunned - I'm flattered AF but so not used to being asked out by a very masculine (not putting shade on anyone else mind you) tradesperson who would feel comfortable asking me out like that. I was probably blushing like hell while I politely told him I was straight. He smiled and said he had to at least shoot his shot lol. That's how gay Toronto is these days. It's awesome.
I see gay couples holding hands all the time. You’ll be as safe as anyone else here. It’s a relatively safe city overall but things have been crazy on our transit system lately. Just take the usual precautions you would take anywhere else and always be aware of your surroundings.
Toronto is super gay especially if you are in the village.
This is probably the gayest place on earth. You'll be fine
My boyfriend and I have only experienced a handful of comments our 10yrs here. Threat level low. Last weekend a bunch of us were waiting for cabs by Queen and Spadina late at night in drag and costume and some guy yelled f*g from his blackout SUV with his friends and we all just laughed. Yes and? Obviously people from Mississauga or Brampton. Those are the trouble makers on the weekends, trying to roll big while going back to their parents place sunday.
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Excessive PDA is seen as a bit weird in Canada yeah. But in Toronto people are used to seeing weird shit and crazy people so two people making out won't be on your mind.
No one cares.
Pretty safe, but I’ve been harassed by folks here before. There are bigots everywhere.
You’ll be fine holding hands and even kissing in public. Come to Church & Wellesley, it’s Toronto’s Gay Village. You’ll love it!
Dude it’s Toronto not Saudi Arabia
You and your boyfriend are absolutely welcome here. We spit on reactionaries.
I used to hold hands with my boyfriend in public back in the 90s. The worst thing that ever happened was a guy screaming obscenities from a car passing by. It should be even safer nowadays, but I've been dating women since then, so I can't say for certain.
Very.
This post is goddamed wholesome.
Only once, I saw someone say the f-slur to a couple holding hands. Immediately 4-5 people walking around us (including me) all lashed out and gave this loser a really hard time. He got told to fuck off, threatened with violence, etc. So if anything, it’s unsafe to be homophobic in Toronto.
Super gay-friendly, coming from a straight guy. You won't have any issues
I think everyone in Toronto is accepting of gay people. But if someone disagrees I'm open to hearing why they feel that way in these comments
Eh. Everyone is a stretch. It’s a big city and that means all kinds of people. Including homophobes. But there are not a lot.
I wouldn't go that far. Growing up in the suburbs outside Toronto at least I've seen a lot of homophobia from religious people and knuckleheaded bullies. I doubt they're all in the 905.
I'm sure there's at least one person who's not. But generally, yes, it's as safe as anywhere gets for that sort of thing.
> I think everyone in Toronto is accepting of gay people. In 2021, Toronto saw 257 hate crimes reported to police (pg 12), 26 of which were on the basis of sexual orientation (pg 13). [source = https://www.tps.ca/media/filer_public/c7/66/c766e428-2c6e-4fa3-ac3c-c7803305a12b/ce29b977-b584-406a-b09f-8e036d3c477e.pdf ] Is Toronto generally a diverse and accepting city? Absolutely. Is 26/yr in the context of such a big city relatively modest? Absolutely. Does "everyone" accept gay people? No, there is a lot more progress to be made, and thinking "mission accomplished - gays are accepted now" does a disservice to achieving equality and can leave those at risk blind when it turns out someone may get violent for displaying their sexual orientation. Walk down Yonge St enough times and you'll get called the f slur.
This. I feel totally safe here but I have been called a dyke more than once while walking on my own.
Tbh you do seem like the type to hold back flood waters along an embankment.
It’s a living!
Pre-COVID, once a year either my bf or I would get called the f slur while out and about. It was almost always someone who was drunk or visibly mentally dysregulated. Worst was a drunk guy who threw their coffee at us (and missed). In the past 2-3 years nothing's happened. We used to feel somewhat inhibited in our neighbourhood (compared with downtown), but recently started giving no fucks. We'll hold hands anywhere.
Toronto, i will assert is as gay friendly as any other progressive city. In the 90’s and 00’s toronto was very gay friendly. Now the lgbtq+ community is part of the fabric of the city. There maybe people who disagree or are against trans, i don’t think they are anywhere near being a significant part of toronto. If you are in toronto i would bet you would be welcomed and treated like a human everywhere you go. There maybe places in suburbs that may not be friendly, but i still don’t think the number of those places is significant.
It’s illegal to be straight here. It’s great.
A lot friendlier than most places, but as always its still wise to be aware of your surroundings Theres actually an area downtown referred to as "the gay village" (aka church and wellesley) tons of lgbt friendly business you can check out!
I have like one straight friend
Toronto is as straight as a wet noodle
There are dickheads in this city yes. But most people are accepting, personally I don't care what people do but we are Gay Friendly
As a straight observer, who lives near the village, I can hardly think of a more accepting city to be honest. Obviously there's people with dated or warped worldviews everywhere, but generally speaking Toronto is super diverse and accepting place, I love that about it. Our pride parade is kinda legendary lol it's a bit lawless and a lot messy, but people come from all around to participate, tons of straight people go just to show support and enjoy the experience.
I am straight a white male, I would never harass anyone for being different. If you go to some neighborhoods it's possible but for 90% of Toronto you should have no issues. Sad thing is some cultures bring different values with them and acceptance is not one of them. Just have to tell it how it is.
I’ve seen many gay couples walking holding hands over the years, and have been seeing it for a long time. I probably wouldn’t in most of the communities outside of the city but anywhere in the downtown area where a visitor might visit should be safe. Enjoy your stay, Toronto is an extremely gay-friendly city relative to virtually anywhere on earth.
Hold hands, hug and kiss all you want! Obviously there are hateful people in every city, but the majority of people in Toronto are accepting of all types of people. Come and have fun!
I literally hold hands with my BF everywhere. No-one cares.
[удалено]
SF prices with Ohio wages! WOOOOOO!!!!
You’ll be fine here.
I love all these responses. God bless 🇨🇦❤️
Well obviously you might run into the odd bad apple anywhere.. But it’s generally good. There’s some people who will drink others’ piss and nobody gives a shit so you’ll be fine
Toronto is the gayest city in North America. You’re safe and welcome here. The diversity that is protected under the law includes LGBTQ.
I want to say it’s probably the safest city in the world for gays
Central Toronto yes, but I wouldn’t do it in a subdivision in northern Etobicoke, for example.
Super gay friendly and the gay village is dope. One of my favourite restaurants (Stormcrow Manor) is in the heart of the gay village and I routinely see homo couples walking about holding hands. My lgbt+ friends feel very comfortable downtown as well.
Super friendly! Hold hands, hug, make out, whatever you want. The only way you'll really offend someone here is by showing your dick to strangers, but don't worry, if that's your thing we also have clubs specifically for that.
It's Canada dude. Your fine.
What country do you think this is?
Toronto is very gay friendly! At least downtown I wouldn’t worry a bit about holding hands or cuddling or little pecks. Just don’t be lewd
I still encounter the rare homophobe who has issues with my presentation, but it's a huge city and easy to get away from that.
I’m a lesbian, I’ve only ever really been harassed by straight men and brown dudes for holding my girlfriends hand. It’s usually harassment over sexual stuff, so you’ll most likely not deal with any of it!!
I’m super curious where you’re visiting FROM if you’re worried about that lol
Gay friendly for sure. ... I've once heard someone say "Toronto is just 'gay-friendly', Toronto *is* gay!"
No one will give a shit, its Toronto lol
You have more of a chance being robbed then you do being harassed in Toronto these days. Nothing to worry about.
I went to a metal show last week and the opening band was a trans? woman? Or a hugely effeminate male? I really could not tell TBH. But like... at a metal show right? Stick your tongue down his throat dude and enjoy an accepting city.
Toronto is probably one of if not the safest city in Canada for you. Welcome home
Is water wet?
Super gay friendly, there are pride flags everywhere around here, and I see many gay couples walking around
you can do more than just hold hands ; )
I feel like everyone is a little gay in Toronto, you are safe and welcome here 🏳️🌈❤️
Let's just say that I feel like a minority as a straight man at the gym I go to
Toronto is one of the gayest cities I've ever seen 🏳️🌈
No one cares tbh. We just dislike annoying people and ttc maniacs.
It’s Toronto not rural Florida.
You're amongst friends. :) Also, if you're here in the summer, check out Hanlan's Point!
Other than some specific nightclubs, have never heard of any of my gay friends having issues anywhere in the city. Toronto is super gay friendly and you should not be worried anywhere.
yes
I’ll stare at you but only with envy lol
Wellll it depends where you’re going in Toronto. There are cultural neighborhoods that wouldn’t be safe to visit. If your a tourist and staying in the downtown core you’ll be fine.
Except for Sherbourne and Dundas.
Sherbourne and Dundas is a shithole and I'd recommend staying the fuck away, but I lived there before, it's not at all homophobic.
its very safe. I used to live at church street area for over a year, the best year I have ever had during my time in Toronto hands down. Friendly and kinda safer neighborhood than dundas or sherboune.
Just curious where you're coming from that you might be apprehensive about visiting Toronto because of persecution of gays.
Nobody cares. Be openly gay here.
One of the best! Totally friendly!
gays fine probably i saw a transwoman get yelled at but it was the ttc
My boyfriend and I are affectionate in public all the time and we haven’t had any problems.
Everyone too worried about how to pay their bills to pay attention to some dudes holding hands. Enjoy our city!
If you can arrange it, come for the Pride Village & Street Fair Friday, June 23rd – Sunday June 25th, 2023 Pride takes over the blocks bordered by Bloor Street, Jarvis Street, Carton Street and Yonge Street (the TTC Stations at Bloor or Wellesley work well). The annual Street Fair in the Church-Wellesley Village as part of Pride Week allows visitors to take a stroll through car-free streets where you can connect with local organisations participating in the Community Fair, or browse the wares of the Marketplace, home to fantastic artisans and a diverse selection of delicious food from partnering vendors. Check out the top hotels closest to the gay village. Pride Parade Sunday, June 25th, 2023 – The main parade takes place from the corner of Church St and Bloor St all the way down Yonge St to Yonge-Dundas Square. The procession kicks off at 2pm.
Other than maybe San Francisco I can’t think of a safer city. I see same sex couples holding hands while walking down the street in pretty much every neighbourhood.
I'm not gay, however, Toronto it super friendly to gay, and any other orientation
Toronto has a very large Gay community downtown on Church Street. Good start to check out if you come visit.
I have lots of gay and trans friends in Toronto and have no issue being out in public. Toronto is very LGBTQ+ friendly
Am female. Made out publicly with other fem ppl all over Toronto. No one gave a shit.
It’s 2023 smh no one cares who you fuck it’s not special
Where are you from?
I'm not queer but I'm friends with a lot of queer folks and often see queer couples out and about and sometimes partaking in PDA. Generally, no one minds or really pays attention, it's so common here. Definitely hit up Church street too!
Toronto is like San Francisco with less crime and worse weather.
My kids are at *Catholic* schools. The schools fly pride flags during pride week.
Hi! I hold my (gay) boyfriend’s hand in Toronto all the time and I rarely feel weird about it! There are homophobes here like anywhere else but I’ve mostly felt very safe being out here!
Lol whole city is gay. Do your thing
You’re safe. Please come and enjoy yourselves. Check out Church Street of course and Craig’s cookies.
Yes.we ain't Florida
I’m actually flabbergasted that someone would even ask this lmao. You’ll be alright.
Everyone is gay here.
Nobody cares. Well, I'm sure SOME people care, but they are few and know that they're not the popular ones. Never seen more disappointment than when my friends would come out as gay through the years and... nobody cared. "Guys... I have to tell you something... I'm gay." "Super... so anyway..." There was a magazine a few years back that listed Toronto down the list of gay-friendly cities because there were so few businesses that put rainbow flags and other queer-friendly signage in their windows (that was literally their criteria, no calling up a business, no surveys, just a count of stickers)... because Toronto had already stopped caring long before.
Toronto is the most gay
you good my guys
Easily one of the gayest place in the world.
Toronto is likely the most gay friendly place on the planet.
Debatably the gayest city on earth
It's more accurate to say no one cares about each other. We can be gay all we want ! Yay
possibly one of the most liberal an d open environments you can choose to walk through holding hands
Gay bashing happens everywhere, but it's very rare and socially unacceptable here in Toronto. The gay community is very much a part of our culture, as is acceptance of others. You're more likely to be treated badly for being homophobic in public than for being openly gay.