What are the gayest things you can buy?

We ask stores around the Village what makes them light in the loafers


We thought you might want to do a little shopping during Pride, so we went around to some of Toronto’s queerer shops and asked, “What’s the gayest thing you have on sale?” We got some fun answers and some silly (and occasionally sexy) photos.

Buddies in Bad Times

They picked: their special “You Can Sit on Our Face” Pride shirt.
Their reason: “Because it’s fun, it’s sex-positive, it’s sexy, and it’s all those great things about Pride rolled up into a shirt.”
Where: 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com

Dudley’s Hardware

They picked: mop head, trowel, drywall compound, paint and duct tape.
Their reason: (which pertains mostly to the drywall compound) “Even the best drag queen needs a good foundation.”
Where: 511 Church St. dudleyhardware.com

Fabarnak

They picked: an assortment of muffins
Their reason: “Whatever kind of muffins we have on any given day, one thing’s for sure: they’re always fruity.”
Where: 519 Church St. the519.org/about/fabarnak-restaurant

Fabulous Frames

They picked: what’s probably the gayest 3-for-1 glasses deal in the city.
Their reason: “A girl can never have too many glasses.”
Where: 185 Queen St E. fabulousframes.ca

 

Fuel+

They picked: some tasty snack balls that come in a variety of flavours (and they always bring out a new, fruitier one for Pride).
Their reason: “Isn’t it obvious — it’s balls.”
Where: 471 Church St. fuelplus.ca

Glad Day Bookshop

They picked: the graphic novels The Gaysi Zine, Beyond: the Queer Sci-Fi and Fantasy Comic Anthology and Hard to Swallow.
Their reason: “Because everybody loves something that’s diverse and a little dystopic and dirty.”
Where: 598 Yonge St. gladdaybookshop.com

Ladybug Florist

The picked: the Sweet and Sassy Hippo stuffed animal.
Their reason: “Because she’s sweet and sassy.”
Where: 513 Church St. ladybugflorist.com

Northbound Leather

They picked: a leather harness, jock and (most importantly) some chaps.
Their reason: “What’s gay about chaps is you have your buns out.”
Where: 7 St Nicholas St. northbound.com

Out on the Street

They picked: The Pistol Pete Pride bathing suit (which, despite our pleading, they refused to wear for the photo)
Their reason: “I think it speaks for itself.”
Where: 551 Church St. outonthestreet.ca

The Men’s Room

They picked: an array of pup play accoutrements — Oxballs K-9 paddle, and One Man Armada’s collar and hood.
Their reason: “It’s so fetch.”
Where: 465 Church St. shopthemensroom.com

Photos by Taylor J Mace/Daily Xtra

Jeremy Willard is a Toronto-based freelance writer and editor. He's written for Fab Magazine, Daily Xtra and the Torontoist. He generally writes about the arts, local news and queer history (in History Boys, the Daily Xtra column that he shares with Michael Lyons).

Read More About:
Culture, Arts, Toronto

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