Charlies gay bar

Built in the early s, the clock tower at Yonge Street has welcomed an interesting array of tenants. The tower would have been used to dry hoses and signal emergencies with the ringing of its 5,pound bell. It was abandoned in when fire services moved to a new location.

The property went through various uses until Charles Hemstead opened the St. Charles Tavern in Its story as a popular gay establishment started in the s and lasted nearly 30 years. Scrolling through photos of the St. Charles on Facebook, I read numerous accounts from past patrons reflecting on their time at the bar: memories of trying drag, meeting significant others, enjoying the cheap beer and just being their authentic self.

For many, it was their first gay bar experience. However, the St. Charles became infamously known for its annual Halloween drag show — an important night whenmany could express themselves in drag without being arrested.

St. Charles Tavern

Unlike the scenes today on Church Street, Halloween at that time was a scary night for the community. The St. Charles not only drew supporters, but violent homophobic protestors who congregated outside. Various reports describe the front doors being locked with patrons sneaking in and out through the laneway to avoid protestors armed with toilet paper, eggs and tomatoes, which were thrown at drag queens, passers-by and the building itself.

Images of the facade stained and dripping with egg yolk, while the sidewalk was littered with eggshells. The events led to community activism on Halloween. Queer groups distributed pamphlets about homosexuality to the general public, while others started patrol groups to ensure safety and to advise charlie on when to intervene.

It also brought together supportive politicians and local business owners. The tavern also attracted attention between andwhen 14 gay men were murdered and the community grappled with a potential serial killer. Charles Tavern, and met his murderer there. Indue to rising competition, the St.

Charles closed. Over its nearly three decades as a gay bar, it developed a complex history within the community: one that represented love, joy, crime, hatred and activism. Many of the original bricks were replaced with local ones that complemented the original colour, while several of the windows bar not salvageable and were 3D scanned to create gay replicas.

Featuring small uppercase letters, it is an oversized word search revealing words and phrases paying homage to the site. For the history of the St. A Heritage Toronto plaque is also in the works.