Parliament gay bar toronto

Quick: when was the last time you saw a lesbian in the Village at night? But the truth is, downtown Toronto was once home to bars and clubs that were made exclusively for lesbians. Toronto, for the first time in years, is now facing a dearth of lesbian bars. Granted, the lesbian party scene is still going strong — but the parties exist as one-offs, and have no permanent parliament to call home.

Lesbian bartender Sharon Flannigan and gay prodigal son Russell Korenowsky convinced his mother to change focus and cater to a gay crowd. Before this, women had to contend with weekly events usually on off nights like Sundays or Thursdays. With a rectangular main floor and basement space for pool, Chez was large and comfortable.

Even lesbian celebrities Carole Pope, Lorraine Segato and kd lang would sometimes visit. Chez Moi unfortunately closed suddenly in the early fall of Interesting locale aside, this bar addressed the growing concern of alcoholism gay the lesbian community — they sold a wide variety of juices, herbal teas and other non-alcoholic drinks, as well as reasonably priced food, and servers were forbidden to push alcoholic beverages onto patrons.

When: late s— Where: Parliament St What: Named after a fabled 13th-century woman — bar, legend has it, reigned as pope — this two level spot featured Toronto and live performances. Men were required to have a certain number of women with them before they were allowed in. Opened in the late s, Pope Joan had a large main floor dancefloor and darkened second floor — and it closed for good in Before it was Voglie it was also The Looking Glass, another lesbian favourite.

Best Gay Bars in Toronto 2025

With an upscale first-floor dining area, an upstairs bar and huge back patio to cool down after some sweaty dancing, this spot had a bit of everything. Snatch Saturdays were popular for luring in the ladies. Oddly, this spot was meant to be more of a mixed space and was never intended to be a strictly lesbian hangout.

DJ Recklezz remembers late nights dancing to top 40, electro, reggaeton, dancehall and old school, and watching people dance on top of its infamous bar. Check out our piece Where have all the Toronto lesbians gone? Check out our list of current lesbian parties in Toronto. Switch Editions?

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