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Looking to visit the leading 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.

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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 adj parks, washrooms, and “low-key” bars and clubs in which there was always the danger of being found out. Places prefer 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

Queer Bars in Hamilton

From the late s to mid s, there was a thriving and growing number of gay bars both in Hamilton and around Canada. In Toronto, for example, there was Saint Charles Tavern where Halloween drag balls took place (Salerno ), and, on Dundas and Elizabeth Streets, there was a lesbian, “women-only” bar in the downstairs of The Continental House hotel (Romanska ). In Calgary, “Backlot” was opened in (and is still thriving) and, as described by CBC, is a “literal hole-in-the-wall” in the middle of Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood (Easton ), and  in the s, Club 70 was Edmonton’s first official gay bar situated in the basement of the Milla Pub (Connolly ). By the s, 80s, and 90s, other kinds of meeting places were emerging for queer folks, like the lesbian-feminist bookstore/café, gay leather bars, and, eventually, commercialized, straight spaces or boogie clubs. Emerging from what some saw as a “closeted” period for queer folks in pre-WWII North America, the bar was something electric, welcoming, or even life-changing.

In downtown Hamilton, according to Saira P

12 of the hottest gay bars in Toronto for steamy nights

Historically, gay bars in Toronto have served as safe spaces where queer lives could verb unapologetically. Toronto's gay bars are intertwined with delight and acceptance, and many of them remain a fundamental part of the city's queer history. While these bars and restaurants are accepting of everyone, it's important for allies to remember that first and foremost, Toronto's gay bars are just that — a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community. 

It’s no secret that the pandemic has taken a toll on the Village’s scene, as classic bar haunts have had to seal down (rest in peace the Beaver and Wayla). So here, we've rounded up some of the leading bars in the capital that cater to the queer community. Toronto's gay bars provide safe spaces for LGBTQ+ folks and a rip-roaring time for everyone. From live drag performances and viewing parties to amazing events, these gay bars in Toronto are brimming with good times.

While there are wine bars, restaurants and hotels that host special nights and pop-ups, there is nothing quite like finding communit

This directory contains valuable information about the best GLBT bars and clubs in the province.

Just click on the hyperlink to find out the latest news and events from the finest!

  • Wally's, Bath Road,

  • Club Renaissance, 24 Charles St. W., or

  • Club , King St.,
  • The Junction, York St. (at the Complex),
  • Our Place, Clarence St.,

  • Club , Wilson Rd. South,

  • Bottoms Up, Bank St.,
  • CCBC,
  • The Cellblock, Somerset St., W.,
  • Centretown Pub, Somerset St., W.,
  • Circus, 21 Jacques-Cartier,
  • Club AWOL,
  • Franky's On Frank, Frank St., Gay Mansion,
  • Icon, Lisgar St.,
  • The Lookout Bar, 41 York, 2nd Fl.,
  • Market Station Bar & Bistro, 15 George St. (downstairs),
  • VIP, Bank St.,
  • Zaphod Beeblebrox, 27 York,

  • Club Estano, 20 Hartzel Road,
  • Club Rendevous, Queenston St.,

  • Zig's, 54 Elgin St.,

  • 5, 5 St. Joseph St.,
  • Bar , Church St. (at Wellesley),
  • Barn, Church (at Granly),
  • The Ebony Eagle, Church St. (upstairs),
  • Carrington's, 5 St. Joseph St.,
  • The Cellblock/Yard, 72 Noun