By Tom Kernaghan
(Reprinted with permission from The Village Gleaner, Toronto Ontario)
Village Gleaner Newspaper logo
November 2005 issue
In North America, we tend to put people in one spot or another, says Tom Riley, a local gay man in his 50's. Sexuality is really a continuum. Riley is one of many gay men who have chosen to make Toronto's west end, sometimes called Queer West Village, their home. gaywest.905host.net/files/queerwestvillage.php
For over 15 years, there has been a general shift of the city's gay population away from Church and Wellesley streets, or what is often referred to as the Gay Ghetto. I like the diversity here, says Riley, who first came to Toronto in 1969, but for the past 10 years has called the High Park area home. I get the impression that this is a fairly tolerant neighbourhood in terms of ethnicities. As for it's attitude toward the gay community, I don't know, I mean, I've had no adverse reactions.
One distinguishing characteristic of the Queer West community, which roughly spans Parkdale, Roncesvalles Avenue, High Park, Trinity-Bellwoods, Bloor West Village, and Etobicoke, is its apparent lack of friction with the non-gay community.
This may be due to a broader focus that's emerging. There's no sexual connotation to our website, said a spokesperson for the Gay West Community Network (GWCN), which since 2001 has been connecting local and visiting gay men with gay-friendly services, activities, and businesses in the Queer West Village.
It's about community-based awareness. There are enough other sites out there for dating. Breaking from stereotypes is a big part of what the organization is all about, says Dunn, who leads the Gay West Village Bicycle Club. gaywest.905host.net/files/bikeclub.php
Gay West acknowledges a spectrum of lifestyles, and created Wilde Chats (a nod to Oscar Wilde), a discussion group that meets to explore topics ranging from the philosophical to the financial. gaywest.905host.net/files/wildechats.php
Dunn says, many want the queer community to spread out, both physically and attitudinally. There's no need to flaunt [our homosexuality] or fly the flag, he says in reference to the rainbow flag, which for years has been a symbol for the gay community.
Sexuality is just one part of who you are. They don't quite get that downtown. For them it's, Were here and were queer! [Church and Wellesley neighbourhood] is just too overwhelming, says Riley, who along with other local men plays hockey in the Toronto Gay Hockey Association, and is also the son of the Pittsburgh Penguins, first general manager.
There's too much attitude I'll visit friends, but I never want to live there. Which begs the question, what is it about the city's west end that has attracted so many gay men to begin with?
Some have suggested its relatively high number of well-educated residents makes it more tolerant and open-minded than some other regions of the city.
Perhaps the answer lies in the gay community's inherent diversity. Hailing from so many backgrounds, gay men may feel at home in a greater community that is rapidly changing and presenting many opportunities to bridge gaps.
St John's Anglican Church (288 Humberside Ave) Is known for its openness to a wide array of congregants. We want people to know we support same-sex marriage, says Father Gary van der Meer, the pastor of St John's, which is not yet permitted to marry same-sex couples. We are pushing our church in that direction. This decision cost them 25 members when they went public with their intentions, but they gained more than that in newcomers attracted to the churchs changed direction.
They also received a lot of support from those who chose to stay, especially those with gay family members. We are a rainbow congregation of all kinds of people, gay and straight, old and young, says Father van der Meer.
But the neighbourhood has had its dark moments. One night in 1985, Kenn Zeller, a gay teacher from Western Technical School (125 Evelyn Cres), was beaten to death by five teenagers roaming High Park for the purpose of gay-bashing. To some this episode seems like a long time ago, but Riley says our society is not yet fully tolerant of gays, which is why he feels a little more comfortable in the gay hockey league and doesn' t go to the park to meet men for sex.
It's just too risky, says Riley Still, unfortunately, gay people have to be vigilant We have made gains, but we shouldn't be complacent.
For more information, please visit Gay West Community Network: queerwest.org, Gay Hockey Association Torontohttp://www.gayhockey.com/, and St John's Anglican Churchhttp://www.sjwt.ca//
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The author of this Toronto Gleaner article Tom Kernaghan has his own blog called Oakwriter at http://oakwrite.blogspot.com Kernaghan also writes a regular monthly column called Divercity, where he explores and profiles various ethnic and cultural communities in Toronto's west end - Parkdale, High Park, Bloor West Village, and eastern Etobicoke.
(Reprinted with permission from The Village Gleaner, Toronto Ontario)
Village Gleaner Newspaper logoNovember 2005 issue
In North America, we tend to put people in one spot or another, says Tom Riley, a local gay man in his 50's. Sexuality is really a continuum. Riley is one of many gay men who have chosen to make Toronto's west end, sometimes called Queer West Village, their home. gaywest.905host.net/files/queerwestvillage.php
For over 15 years, there has been a general shift of the city's gay population away from Church and Wellesley streets, or what is often referred to as the Gay Ghetto. I like the diversity here, says Riley, who first came to Toronto in 1969, but for the past 10 years has called the High Park area home. I get the impression that this is a fairly tolerant neighbourhood in terms of ethnicities. As for it's attitude toward the gay community, I don't know, I mean, I've had no adverse reactions.
One distinguishing characteristic of the Queer West community, which roughly spans Parkdale, Roncesvalles Avenue, High Park, Trinity-Bellwoods, Bloor West Village, and Etobicoke, is its apparent lack of friction with the non-gay community.
This may be due to a broader focus that's emerging. There's no sexual connotation to our website, said a spokesperson for the Gay West Community Network (GWCN), which since 2001 has been connecting local and visiting gay men with gay-friendly services, activities, and businesses in the Queer West Village.
It's about community-based awareness. There are enough other sites out there for dating. Breaking from stereotypes is a big part of what the organization is all about, says Dunn, who leads the Gay West Village Bicycle Club. gaywest.905host.net/files/bikeclub.php
Gay West acknowledges a spectrum of lifestyles, and created Wilde Chats (a nod to Oscar Wilde), a discussion group that meets to explore topics ranging from the philosophical to the financial. gaywest.905host.net/files/wildechats.php
Dunn says, many want the queer community to spread out, both physically and attitudinally. There's no need to flaunt [our homosexuality] or fly the flag, he says in reference to the rainbow flag, which for years has been a symbol for the gay community.
Sexuality is just one part of who you are. They don't quite get that downtown. For them it's, Were here and were queer! [Church and Wellesley neighbourhood] is just too overwhelming, says Riley, who along with other local men plays hockey in the Toronto Gay Hockey Association, and is also the son of the Pittsburgh Penguins, first general manager.
There's too much attitude I'll visit friends, but I never want to live there. Which begs the question, what is it about the city's west end that has attracted so many gay men to begin with?
Some have suggested its relatively high number of well-educated residents makes it more tolerant and open-minded than some other regions of the city.
Perhaps the answer lies in the gay community's inherent diversity. Hailing from so many backgrounds, gay men may feel at home in a greater community that is rapidly changing and presenting many opportunities to bridge gaps.
St John's Anglican Church (288 Humberside Ave) Is known for its openness to a wide array of congregants. We want people to know we support same-sex marriage, says Father Gary van der Meer, the pastor of St John's, which is not yet permitted to marry same-sex couples. We are pushing our church in that direction. This decision cost them 25 members when they went public with their intentions, but they gained more than that in newcomers attracted to the churchs changed direction.
They also received a lot of support from those who chose to stay, especially those with gay family members. We are a rainbow congregation of all kinds of people, gay and straight, old and young, says Father van der Meer.
But the neighbourhood has had its dark moments. One night in 1985, Kenn Zeller, a gay teacher from Western Technical School (125 Evelyn Cres), was beaten to death by five teenagers roaming High Park for the purpose of gay-bashing. To some this episode seems like a long time ago, but Riley says our society is not yet fully tolerant of gays, which is why he feels a little more comfortable in the gay hockey league and doesn' t go to the park to meet men for sex.
It's just too risky, says Riley Still, unfortunately, gay people have to be vigilant We have made gains, but we shouldn't be complacent.
For more information, please visit Gay West Community Network: queerwest.org, Gay Hockey Association Torontohttp://www.gayhockey.com/, and St John's Anglican Churchhttp://www.sjwt.ca//
-----------------
The author of this Toronto Gleaner article Tom Kernaghan has his own blog called Oakwriter at http://oakwrite.blogspot.com Kernaghan also writes a regular monthly column called Divercity, where he explores and profiles various ethnic and cultural communities in Toronto's west end - Parkdale, High Park, Bloor West Village, and eastern Etobicoke.
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