Toronto is a vibrant international city where rainbow flags proudly wave and where everyone is welcome. With its gay villages, LGBT events, same-sex marriage ceremonies, diverse attractions and gay nightlife, Toronto is a favourite gay and lesbian travel destination.
A must-see during any gay Toronto vacation is The Gay Village or, quite simply, The Village. Located around Church and Wellesley Streets in downtown Toronto, The Village lays claim to being the largest gay community in Canada as well as one of the largest gay communities in all of North America. Rainbow High Vacations, Canada’s largest LGBT travel agency, makes its home in The Village, while Toronto’s top shopping destination, Toronto Eaton Centre, is located at the edge of Gay Village. To fans of Showtime’s Queer as Folk, Gay Village will doubtless seem familiar, as Toronto was a filming location for the TV series.
Every June, as many as a million people descend upon The Village for Toronto’s
Pride Week, climaxed by a three-day Pride Street Festival and a Pride Parade. Other gay-friendly events in Toronto include The Village’s Halloween celebration, the Halloweek Street Festival, and the Inside Out Lesbian Gay Film and Video Festival, held in May.
Gay travelers venturing beyond downtown Toronto may enjoy a visit to Queer West Village, another of North America’s largest gay neighbourhoods. Queer West Village is located along Queen Street in the vicinity of High Park/Parkdale and Trinity Bellwoods in Toronto’s west end.
For gay couples thinking of getting married, Toronto is the place to go. Same-sex marriages have been legal in Toronto (and throughout Ontario) since 2003. Gay and lesbian out-of-towners wishing to get married in Toronto needn’t worry about citizenship or residency requirements — there aren’t any. Toronto venues for gay weddings include The Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, City Hall and the Civic Centre.
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