Hate Watch

Ontario teen arrested after threatening to commit mass shooting at Florida Pride event

A 17-year-old was arrested after reportedly brandishing a gun and threatening to open fire at a West Palm Beach event

By V.S. Wells

Books

‘Modern Whore’ is a love letter to sex workers—and the art of the hustle

Andrea Werhun’s memoir captures the challenges, joys and humour of a career in sex work

By Noelle Perdue

Power

An external audit of three federal grants to Pride Toronto leaves more questions unanswered

New allegations surface over falsified documents and double dealing

By Krishna Rau

Culture

What went wrong at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and how can it be fixed?

Generational conflict and accusations of systemic racism plagued the company before the board resigned

By Chris Dupuis

Culture

Buddies in Bad Times’ new board chair leaves amid ongoing tensions about the future of the Toronto theatre

Last year, staff demanded restructuring and more power in hiring decisions

By Krishna Rau

Power

Pride Toronto mishandled grant funding, exploited Indigenous and Two-Spirit artists, investigation finds

An independent review of the largest Pride organization in Canada is now underway

By Krishna Rau

TV & Film

Growing up queer in suburbia

Catherine Hernandez gracefully adapts her hit novel “Scarborough” for the big screen

By S. Bear Bergman

The Buzz

‘Degrassi’ is coming back and it better be queer as hell

A reboot for HBO Max is prompting plenty of “Euphoria” comparisons

By Mel Woods

Identity

Global Black Pride is coming to Toronto—and it’s bigger and better than ever

“Black Pride is a political act whether we’re protesting or dancing”

By Sophie Hurwitz

Power

The cost of policing public sex

OPINION: Five years ago, Toronto police cracked down on park cruising in a campaign called Project Marie. But LGBTQ2S+ activists fought back, reshaping the community’s relationship to the police

By Marcus McCann

Health

One in three homeless LGBTQ2S+ Toronto youth attempted suicide since start of pandemic

A new survey from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health highlights the dramatic impact COVID-19 has had on unhoused LGBTQ2S+ youth

By Mel Woods

The Xtra Long Read

What does Pride look like in a post-pandemic world?

Pride festivals around the world are grappling with the aftermath of COVID-19, a global racial reckoning and corporate criticisms. At Pride Toronto, managing the future of the event means tackling it all head-on

By Cameron Perrier

Hate Watch

Here’s what we know so far about the attack on a Toronto gay man

A 24-year-old man sustained injuries after an aggravated assault at a popular Toronto LGBTQ2S+ meeting space

By Krishna Rau

Policing

‘Profound systemic failure’: 5 takeaways from the independent review of Toronto police

The report offers 151 recommendations to rectify how police handle missing persons cases within LGBTQ2S+ and other marginalized communities

By Mel Woods

Power

Bruce McArthur sentenced to life imprisonment: How the week unfolded

The serial killer won’t be eligible for parole for 25 years, when he is 91

By Arvin Joaquin, Erica Lenti, Eternity Martis

Power

What we learned at Bruce McArthur’s sentencing

Hearing from the Crown and victims’ loved ones

By Arvin Joaquin, Erica Lenti, Eternity Martis

Power

Bruce McArthur pleaded guilty, but justice has not yet been served

We’ve been spared the media circus of a trial, but may have lost the chance to reckon with how authorities paid to protect all citizens failed the victims

By RM Vaughan

Opinion

Police do not belong in Pride

The Ontario Human Rights Commission report on the overrepresentation of police killings of Black people confirms why

By Beverly Bain