After almost 20 years of hatred and violence towards gays attending drag costume balls at Halloween in Toronto, gay journal, Body Politic, published an editorial in 1980 that put its well-heeled foot down to stop the insanity:

The events of October 31 are a civic disgrace, and should be a source of shame to every citizen of the city. Every citizen, every elected official should share every gay person’s dismay at having to face, each year, a night of humiliation and hate. A night that is passed over in silence, that has drawn no criticism, no condemnation, that has not moved one single elected official to say ‘This is appalling and disgraceful. This must be stopped.’

In the 1960s and 70s, Yonge Street, on the blocks between College and Wellesley Streets, was home to two gay bars, the Parkside Tavern and the St. Charles Tavern. On Halloween night, the only socially permissible night of the year where gays could openly express themselves in costume, these queer bars drew two very different groups: drag queens and large, hostile crowds  armed with eggs and ink, fists on the ready.

“Halloween is on its way to becoming a confrontation between a large gay subculture and a city that pretends it doesn’t exist,” wrote Hugh Brewster, a Body Politic contributor at the time.

A Torontoist article by Jamie Bradburn explains that outside of Halloween back in the day, “it wasn’t unusual for men in drag to be hauled by police down to Cherry Beach and beaten up”, and this, he writes, “gave rise to costume balls on October 31 which allowed participants to publicly display their sexuality. The parties could be lavish affairs—during Halloween 1969, the August Club at 530 Yonge offered a ball with prizes, buffet, and champagne for $12.50 a head.”

Mark Henderson, an actor/model who experienced the Yonge Street scenes first-hand, explains that “back in the late 70s, it was illegal for men to be out on the streets in drag, and they were arrested. At Halloween, it was a blood bath.”

Bradburn notes that by the late 1970s, the spectacular balls continued to draw angry crowds on the streets, described by one police superintendent as “a sad-looking bunch” that stood around and threw eggs at each other, while the 300 drag queens at the St. Charles ball “were inside having a great time”.

According to BlogTO, during the 1970s, “the epicentre of the [gay] community shifted to Church [Street], as businesses found more affordable spaces on this street. During this time, more businesses became gay-owned”, and the one-block gay migration from Yonge to Church Street began. Gays and lesbians now had apartments to live in (the City Park complex was built just off of Church in the mid-1950s), and the community was finding its way in the new neighbourhood.

Then AIDS hit.

Henderson believes that it was the rise of HIV/AIDS that moved the gay community into what would become Toronto’s  gay village – now gays were feared and further marginalized by “the gay disease”. Gays tried not to be seen and kept to themselves. “There was a 20′ radius around drag queens, because presumably, they were all infected,” he says. “People felt that they could still throw things at the queens, but they wouldn’t touch them.”

He remembers the hatred, the jeering, the hurled objects, and the violence toward drag queens and gays at the time, and recalls that by the early 1990s, the spectacle of Halloween for adults was but dry tinder waiting for a spark to ignite it.

Wildfire

At least in Toronto in the very early 1990s, people didn’t go out in costume at Halloween. Henderson remembers that the thought of grown men in costumes was “creepy”. Sometimes it was okay for women to wear [sexy sexist] costumes, but for men costumes were “frowned down upon”.

One year, he, with his friend Cheyenne Lee who hatched the plan, decided one year to defy convention and go out and enjoy themselves in full Halloween disguises. Halloween was on a weekend that year and they went out three nights in a row as Dracula (Henderson) and his dead showgirl girlfriend (Lee). They went to neighbourhood haunts like the Artful Dodger pub on Isabella and ended up at Woody’s, a popular gay bar at Church and Wellesley Streets, but not much was happening there.

Out on the street, they looked across to Crews, another bar, and decided to go over. As Torontonians do, they J-walked across the road, and as they did, an oncoming car flashed its lights at them so their costumes could be better seen. The car approached slowly then stopped just in time for Lee and Henderson to lay on the hood and make scary faces into the wind shield.

“People loved it!” Henderson remembers. “A car coming south also wanted to be a part of it, so we laid on the hood and gave that car the same treatment. Cheyenne was whipping up the street. Drag queens started to notice and came out onto the street. The police were there but they didn’t shut it down. It was the perfect storm.”

The following year, the 519 Community Centre got a permit and paid for a street party and closed off several blocks for the costume parades, and it’s never been the same since. Last year, 30,000 people came out to see the spectacle of Church Street at Halloween.

“Something got unlocked and it didn’t stop,” Henderson explains. “The costume businesses on Yonge Street would never have survived if it hadn’t been for us. We all woke up when it was really dark – the colours came back.”

But the bonfire of the Church Street Halloween spirit could not have been ignited without a spark. Henderson says that Lee lived and died Halloween (indeed, she named her son, Spider), she had the ability to make things fun and clean things up.

“It wasn’t popular to have gay friends in the 80s,” Henderson says of his late friend. “She was the Kathy Griffin of the day. She got the jokes in life, she lit the fire. Cheyenne was the spark that lit the flame of the Halloween tinder.”

By Leah Morrigan, GGN Editor

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In recent years, Toronto has made huge strides in catching up with our cultured art loving neighbours to the East: Montreal.  You may have suspected as much what with Luminato and Nuit Blanche getting lots of press every year, but there’s so much more out there than that.  And with the help of The Ritz-Carlton‘s resident artist, Jacqueline Poirier, you too can enjoy art in the Tdot.

Here are some of Jacqueline’s suggestions:

–  Look up the independent galleries popping up around your neighbourhood and visit the Art Gallery of Ontario

– Our back alley’s are a veritable art gallery in their own right.  Enjoying them is free, and the selfies you’ll take will be the envy of all your friends!

– Fashion bible, Vogue, has dubbed West Queen West one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world!  Take a look and find out why.

– Art, culture and entertainment are thriving in the historic Distillery district.  The Victorian buildings provide the perfect backdrop to Toronto’s booming artistic expression.

For everything you need to know on Toronto’s art scene CLICK HERE and start exploring today!

After a day of feeding your creative minds, why not stop in to the Spa My Blend by Clarins at The Ritz-Carlton Toronto to take care of your weary body?

Shaun Proulx Media recently enjoyed the Floating On A Cloud experience where we were pampered in our own private suite, including our favourite relaxation tool – a huge tub!

Our feet were scrubbed and rubbed in all the right ways using essential oils of rosemary, rosewood and mint mixed with sugar and salt.  Then we enjoyed deep full body massages.  We loved the customized oil blends, the professional, experienced and attentive staff who listened to our needs and of course the bubbly!

Cheers, we can’t wait to go back for more!

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Download “The Gold Access” app free on iTunes or Google Play. (Note: Current users should load Gold Access 2.0 using these links.)

• To have your upcoming event listed as a Gold Event on the Gold Access app (including line bypass capabilities), click here.
• To have your business included in our Gold Access loyalty program, contact a Brand Manager now by emailing ideas@shaunproulxmedia.com.
• The Gold Access app is currently only available in the Toronto area. To bring Gold Access to your city, email ideas@shaunproulxmedia.com for franchise information.

The Gold Access app rewards your loyalty to local businesses and events by giving you Gold Access Points each time you check in to a participating local business, or attend a Gold Event. Download now and automatically earn 500 Gold Access points.

Redeem your Gold Access points for rewards from partners including:

• Agility Moving & Storage
• Beck Taxi
• Belkin Electronics
• Brentview Electronics
• Calvin Klein
• CCR Brand Clothing
• Churchmouse & Firkin
• Elm Spa
• Le Germain Hotel
• McQueen’s Pub
• Porter Airlines
• Red Rocket Coffee
• Ritz Carlton
• St. James Town Steak & Chops
• Waxon Wax Bar
• Victoria & Julia’s Flowers

… and more!

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EXPRESS THE LOVE YOU FEEL :: Ask a gay man who has been in a relationship about what can cause a breakdown and it’s likely the word communication will arise. Resolving arguments, expressing anger, under-developed listening skills, and feeling the need to “win” arguments are common challenges in intimate relationships between gay men.

Psychotherapist Dale Curd says that’s because men are taught to communicate in a very specific way.

“Men communicate by fixing things,” says Curd, a leading authority in North America on men’s mental and emotional health. “Recognizing there are more ways to communicate is key.”

Communication is particularly important when it comes to the subjects of love and appreciation, areas in which typically men have difficulty with, Curd says.

“But it’s important to say or show how you feel – today,” advises Patrick Marano, husband of GGN publisher Shaun Proulx. They couple first began dating in 2008. “Your relationship doesn’t have to be in a bad place for you to do something good for it. >Tweet this! We make a point of showing each other our love. We call it “putting on the ritz” and its amazing how a little goes a long way.”

If actions speak louder than words, this past spring, Marano pulled out major ritz to communicate his love – clearly. Married since 2011, the pair still have yet to take a honeymoon. Instead of waiting for that to happen, Marano created a mini-honeymoon that remained top-secret until the day-of. “You’ve never seen someone so thrilled as my husband when I told him to pack a weekend bag on a Friday morning,” he says.

Instead of flying off somewhere, Marano whisked his husband in an SUV to the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, just blocks from where they reside.

“The hotel is so decadent, we didn’t leave the building for two nights and three days,” Marano says. “It was an incredible way to strengthen our bond.”

He points to the exceptionally high standards of the luxury hotel as example of how-to in expressing appreciation. “They went out of their way to put thought into everything for us,” he says. “The key word being: thought. You have to put thought about the person you are in a relationship with, thought about how you can show them you care.

“When I was working with Ritz-Carlton on this surprise, they excelled at this. They took the time to find out about us. They asked, “How can we make this weekend memorable?” It mattered to them. So take the same approach with the person you love. The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto wanted to know everything about our wedding day, they wanted to see pictures, they wanted to know Shaun’s favourite cocktail. Everyone should appreciate their partner the way Ritz-Carlton Toronto appreciates its guests.”

Marano elaborates, saying that from the moment they arrived until the moment they left, the hotel made them feel like superstars. “Staff knew who we were on sight; everyone had been made aware of how special this weekend was. Whenever we passed a staff member we were wished “Happy Honeymoon!”. We were whisked up to their Club Level and served glasses of champagne while we took care of check-in business. We stayed in a magnificent space called the Simcoe Suite, which is jaw-dropping. It was very easy not to leave a lake view, Italian linens, and an oversized soaking tub for three days and time like that for a relationship is invaluable.

“When you show someone you love that you are paying attention to them, it really means a lot. Ritz-Carlton had set out more champagne on ice for when we first walked into the suite, and tied to the ice bucket was a bouquet of balloons with a design that matched my Tom Ford wedding jacket. That means a staff member saw one of our wedding photos and actually sourced out balloons to match. I was so touched. It’s always the thought means the most; our partners remember how we make them feel. Our room was also filled with black calla lilies – our wedding flower – plus all the wedding photos I sent them to reference ended up in frames, all around the suite, which are now in our home.”

Shaun’s favourite drink – vodka martinis with stuffed olives – was duly noted and served in the relaxation lounge between their My Blend by Clarins facial and deep-tissue massage in the hotel’s #1 ranking spa. After a dinner at the hotel’s tribute to Toronto, TOCA, (where even 2-star Michelin Chef Oliver Glowig came by to offer the duo his warm wishes) the couple returned to their suite to find min version of their wedding cake.

“It was better than the original,” Marano says. “And yes, it was an incredible experience to be treated like kings this way, but it made me realize: isn’t that what we all want for our relationships? For them to be an incredible experience?”

If putting on the ritz means serving up The Ritz-Carlton royal treatment, it doesn’t mean  you need to express your love and appreciation with a gesture as grand as the one Marano orchestrated. However, you should be prepared to commit to a high level of communication maintenance, say Curd, who offers his clients “The Rule of 3” to help them in becoming strong communicators of their feelings:

1. Incorporate 3 acknowledgments every day between each person, making heart-felt acknowledgements, such as, “I really appreciate what a great listener you are.”
2. Ensure 3 non-sexual physical connections per week. Hold hands on a walk, cuddle while watching TV, or greet each other with a hug at the end of a day.
3. Create 3 relationship-building activities each month. Focus on figuring out how you want to spend your time together.

Advises Curd, “Explore something your partner loves:  Spend a day exploring something your partner loves to experience which may be unknown to you-or, not something you necessary would choose to do. Or spend a day consciously choosing to hold each other’s hands as often as you can. Walk, talk, dine, etc while holding hands.  Next to a kiss, it is the most intimate, non-sexual action we can enjoy.”

Follow Dale Curd on Twitter.

Tour the Ritz-Carlton:

– With reporting by Vance Hedman.

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#LOVEISLOVE :: With World Pride Toronto 2014 fast approaching, Pride Toronto executive director Kevin Beaulieu and his team have their hands full and then some. But that hasn’t stopped Beaulieu, his staff, and volunteers from taking the opportunity to harness the attention global LGBT festival is receiving – and point it in the direction of our brothers and sisters in need.

World Pride’s #LoveSochi social media campaign during the Olympics was one such effort (pictured above, GGN-ers Patrick Marano, Jeff O’Brien, Shaun Proulx, Raquel Richards (in pink) and Sabrina Pirillo pause their after-work cocktails to participate); Beaulieu spoke with us on The Shaun Proulx Show on SiriusXM Canada Talks CH 167 about why World Pride is an important time to focus on less fortunate LGBT people, and what to expect when WorldPride finally does arrive in Toronto:

RELATED :: GLOBAL DESTINATION :: Host city to WorldPride 2014, Toronto is the first city in North America ever to win the honour – in a showdown in Florida against Stockholm, Sweden – of inviting and welcoming the world to experience a Pride like no other. This June 20 – 29, LGBT friends from far and wide are expected to visit Toronto and witness the vibrancy Toronto citizens are fortunate enough to enjoy all the time – and to be dazzled: Toronto’s typical Pride festival is one of the largest and most spectacular in the world.

Toronto is North America’s fourth largest city, and is ranked the safest large metropolitan area in North America by Places Rated Almanac. LGBT people are particularly comfortable and accepted here – Toronto was the site of the first same-sex marriage in the world.

While many cities boast they are cultural melting pots, Toronto truly is, making it an ideal location for WorldPride 2014. With approximately half of it’s 2.8 million inhabitants born outside of Canada, 14o different languages are spoken in Toronto; 30-percent of inhabitants speak a second language other than English or French… (read more)

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GLOBAL DESTINATION :: Host city to WorldPride 2014, Toronto is the first city in North America ever to win the honour – in a showdown in Florida against Stockholm, Sweden – of inviting and welcoming the world to experience a Pride like no other. This June 20 – 29, LGBT friends from far and wide are expected to visit Toronto and witness the vibrancy Toronto citizens are fortunate enough to enjoy all the time – and to be dazzled: Toronto’s typical Pride festival is one of the largest and most spectacular in the world.

Toronto is North America’s fourth largest city, and is ranked the safest large metropolitan area in North America by Places Rated Almanac. LGBT people are particularly comfortable and accepted here – Toronto was the site of the first same-sex marriage in the world.

While many cities boast they are cultural melting pots, Toronto truly is, making it an ideal location for WorldPride 2014. With approximately half of it’s 2.8 million inhabitants born outside of Canada, 14o different languages are spoken in Toronto; 30-percent of inhabitants speak a second language other than English or French.

The mix works. It’s impossible not to appreciate authentic international living when walking the streets of Toronto, streets that lead to a cornucopia of communities representing the mosaic of cultures that make up the whole. Chinatown, Little Portugal, Little India, and Little Italy are just some of the ‘hoods that show off Toronto’s ethnic diversity. Neighbourhoods like posh Rosedale, the bookish Annex, hip Leslieville, and eclectic Cabbagetown offer cultural and architectural delights all visitors will appreciate.

TIP :: Sign up for our free WorldPride 2014 and Gold Access newsletters to stay abreast of all the scoop as you plan your WorldPride experience.

An international population mean shops, restaurants and cultural attractions of international scope – there is literally nothing you can’t see, savour or shop for in Toronto, which offers an embarrassment of dining riches to suit any budget, weekends overflowing with experiences to check out, and some of the best shopping in the world.

Speaking of shopping, Toronto has it all. Every major luxury brand from Louis Vuitton to Chanel to Gucci are represented along the tony shopping Mecca that is Bloor Street, in Yorkville, the city’s chic heartbeat. Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market has been hailed by National Geographic as the best market in the world, while bohemian Kensington Market is a must-visit destination, along with the renown Toronto Eaton Centre by the bustling Dundas Square. Independent boutiques and shops abound, nearly all gay-welcoming.

WorldPride Toronto 2014 visitors can also expect more attractions than one visit to Toronto could possibly allow them to fit in, including Toronto Grand Dame The CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium (winning accolades worldwide), The Toronto Zoo, The Royal Ontario Museum, and the sumptuous Art Gallery of Ontario. A notoriously walkable and green city, High Park is a stunning place to spend an afternoon; the whole of Toronto is dotted with gorgeous green space.

RELATED :: Plan Your Trip

Every visitor must schedule a day on the spectacular Toronto Islands, the crown jewel of the city where the splendid Rectory Cafe awaits, boats bob and sail, families and friends play on beautiful beaches (even a clothing optional beach awaits) – the Toronto Islands are simply more people from all walks of life mingling, Toronto-style.

A people-watcher’s paradise, Toronto will doubtlessly become the ultimate in checking each other out when visitors arrive for WorldPride 2014. There are plenty of places to do so: sidewalk cafes are everywhere; there is nothing quite like patio season in the city. And there’s something about the beautiful mix of citizenry that allows everyone in Toronto – visitor or citizen – to feel comfortable displaying who they are, be it low-key wallflower to hipster, family-type to work-the-runway peacocks. The city’s public transit – one of the best in the world – is where people pretend they aren’t watching you, when really they are.

For the WorldPride Toronto 2014 visitor, Toronto’s historic gaybourhood, Church & Wellesley, is where a large part of the action will take place. Bars, clubs, tubs, shops and restaurants are ready to welcome all, as Alexander Wood, Toronto’s original gay hero, proudly overlooks the unfolding of a special moment in time he couldn’t possibly ever have dreamed of.

RELATED :: The New York Times: Toronto’s Ethnic Buffet

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A re-location of the world-famous hotel icon now sees Four Seasons Toronto soar magnificently 55 storeys above Yorkville, the heartbeat of all things chic in the city. Warm and sophisticated, the renown hotel is an immediate home you never want to leave; understated Canadian elegance personified.

D-Bar is the perfect lounge for a tête-à-tête over martinis and casual fare (just be careful: a sexy scene can erupt as evenings wear on), and we’ve enjoyed the loft-like Café Boulud and it’s global-influenced menu so many times now (including Christmas dinner) that we should have an appetizer named after us. Four Seasons’ 30,000 square foot spa is unparalleled (bearing in mind we’re spa babies who know from spas) – the Asian fusion massage remains on our list of Best 5 Massages Ever.

Top reason to stay at Four Seasons Toronto: the staff. Perhaps Four Seasons’ strongest strength – from check-in to wait staff to the gents opening your cab door as you stumble home from the revelry – each make a Four Seasons Toronto guest feel only warmly welcomed at all times.

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What is it? It’s a non-profit Canadian theater dedicated to promoting Canadian Queer culture through the performing arts. This theater with its long past and wide support from like-mindedbackers is able to guide and promote many forms of artistic expression from its yearly main stage program, residency programs, and youth initiatives. This years presentations have included:

2013 Saw These Performances:

Obaaberima by Tawiah M’carthy

Imprisoned in Canada for committing a violent crime, a young man from Ghana tells his cellmates a story on the eve of his release. Although there is great risk in sharing his tale, he must tell it to be truly free. Through storytelling, dance, and live music, Obaaberima chronicles a young African-Canadian’s journey across continents, genders, races, and sexualities

The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer

For two weeks, over 100 local and international artists transform Buddies in Bad Times Theatre into a hotbed of creativity and experimentation, sharing new ideas in contemporary theatre, performance art, dance, and music with adventure-loving audiences.

Arigato, Tokyo

Daniel MacIvor’s new play at Buddies in Bad Times, Arigato, Tokyo, is about a confident middle-aged Canadian writer who goes to Japan only to be thrown for a loop.

A Few Brittle Leaves

Veteran actors Edward Roy and Gavin Crawford play a pair of spinster sisters who, through a series of touching and comedic disasters, are forced to deal with the question: how does one age gracefully?

Of a Monstrous Child: a gaga musical

A Gaga Musical, produced by his Ecce Homo Theatre and premiering at Buddies in Bad Times, isn’t a musical so much as an ambitious theatrical essay, stuffed with references to pop, queer, and avant-garde icons.

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