Toronto’s Hanlan’s Point now recognized as historically queer space
When most Torontonians think about Hanlan’s Point, they associate it with a nude beach. It’s what the island is best known for, but one local group wants to change that.
Travis Myers co-founded Friends of Hanlan’s last fall after becoming concerned about how the city was treating Hanlan’s Point, the site of Canada’s first Pride in 1971 and one of the world’s oldest surviving queer spaces.
“I came from a really small town and this guy told me like, you’re never going to believe that there’s a whole beach full of LGBT. I’m like, No way, no way. And then I showed up here and it’s true,” said Myers.
In May, the City of Toronto adopted a motion to recognize Hanlan’s Point Beach as a historically queer space in Canada and to consult Toronto’s queer community during restorations.
