Its reputation dates back to 1882, when Oscar Wilde visited the park to deliver a lecture on his tour of North America. Photograph courtesy of John Chuckman Allan GardensĪllan Gardens was an early hot spot for both gay cruising (the trees provided cover for hooking up) and for surveillance (that’s a policeman pictured next to the central fountain). Here, a look at some of the book’s most memorable photos. With excerpts from academics, activists, journalists, filmmakers and city councillors, Any Other Way provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of queer Toronto, including early cruising areas, bathhouse raids, and the city’s arts and music scene. “Toronto is so much gayer than it thinks,” says Jane Farrow, one of more than 100 contributors and editors who contributed to the new anthology Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer.
Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives This map of “Gay Toronto” originally appeared in The Body Politic, a monthly gay magazine published from 1971 to 1987.
