Everyone is welcome! My list of safe, fun and gender neutral places in the city.

Everyone is Welcome!

My list of safe, fun and gender neutral places in the city

Living in Toronto, you probably already know about its hidden treasures. I've called it my home for the last 15 years, and to this day it never ceases to amaze me. There are some places that everyone should make a point to check out. These places are filled with friendly, gender- and culture-neutral, safe and absolutely hands-down always-a-great-time people who don’t discriminate, judge or radiate negative energy. These places are my local gems when it comes to just simply having a good time.

Yes Yes Y’all

Located in the College and Bathurst area, Ryze nightclub is a new home to Yes Yes Y’all, Toronto’s longest running queer party.  Funky, fresh, with a dance-to-every-song type of vibe, YYY never disappoints. The DJs are ridiculously amazing if you’re into hip-hop, reggae and dance hall music. People are extremely positive and encouraging; it always feels like a great place to be yourself.  Bring comfortable shoes and tie your hair up; it’s going to be a wild night. The only issue with YYY is that it only happens once per month, every third Friday, definitely a treat kind of party.

 Beaver Cafe

Cafe by day- bar/dance party by night, Beaver is located on Queen West, east of Dufferin. Friendly staff, small but tasty menu; it’s great for lunch, dinner or drinks as well as dancing at night. The Beaver is truly a gender-neutral place in the city: pansexual, bisexual, cross-dress, drag queen, transgender and of coarse cisgender people are welcome. It might be a tight space, but it fits a ton of awesome people, who come to the Beaver to get away from the sometimes pretentious Queen Street area bars and clubs. Check out their Twitter for events, it’s always a fun night, not to mention a beautiful new back alley mural by Michelle LeFade, is definitely a must see!

Crews and Tangos

One of the gems of The Village, Crews and Tangos is a diverse, top party destination in Toronto. It’s safe and welcoming for people of all ethnicity, sexual orientation and culture. Crews and Tangos is going down in queer Toronto’s history as not only a great place to be yourself but a place that’s constantly helping  others by raising money for various charities like PWA ( People With Aids Foundation), South American & Caribbean Children and other local organizations. It’s also where you would go to dance your heart away to a mix of house, club, pop, hip-hop and retro music. Be sure to check out the fierce drag shows every night, it's crowned number one drag bar in Toronto for a reason!

Regardless of your sexual orientation, your music preference or interests, being able to experience something new in the city is entertaining and educational. It’s also a great way to meet people, make friends or simply take the stress of every day, out on the dance floor. I recommend everyone to try, it’s definitely worth it!