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When The 519 opened in 1976, 2SLGBTQ+ rights and freedoms in Toronto were fragile at best. The police were arresting gay men for public kisses on the corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets, and rounding up lesbians for singing queer songs at the Brunswick House. A group of gay youth simply making use of space at The 519 stoked controversy. There were few to no legal safeguards against homophobic and transphobic discrimination in housing, jobs, and social services.
As we celebrate The 519’s 50th anniversary, we need to affirm two realities at once: life is completely different for 2SLGBTQ+ communities today compared to 50 years ago, with meaningful advances in many areas, and the project of 2SLGBTQ+ liberation remains incomplete, ongoing, and as urgent as ever.
