Three decades of Pride in Toronto

Xtra hits the archives and digs up some of the best shots from past celebrations

Take a trip back in time and relive Pride through the past 30 years.

From the first Pride march, born out of the bathhouse raids in 1981, Toronto’s gay and lesbian community has stood tall and proud, celebrating each hard-fought right won in the courts and pushing queer activism further into the mainstream.

In 1984 Church St was closed to traffic and people danced in the street. Pride Toronto’s first committee was created in 1986, and in 1987 sexual orientation was included in the Ontario Human Rights Code. Building on the momentum, in 1991 Toronto city council proclaimed Pride Day for the first time and thousands celebrated at Church and Wellesley.

Xtra selected some of the best shots from our archives to create this fascinating photo essay.

Maybe you’ll even see yourself. Drop us an email if you do (andrea.houston@xtra.ca).

Happy 31st Pride, Toronto.

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