Church and Wellesley is a gay village located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is roughly bounded by Carlton Street to the south, Yonge Street to the west, Charles Street to the north, and Jarvis Street to the east, with the intersection of Church and Wellesley Streets at the centre of this area. Of course, the boundaries are not fixed, as some gay-oriented establishments can be found slightly outside of this area.
Church and Wellesley is home to the annual Gay Pride celebrations, the largest event of its kind in Canada with over 90 floats and an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 800,000 people. The Pride Parade runs north-south along Yonge Street.
While the neighbourhood is home to bars, restaurants, and stores catering to the gay and lesbian community (particularly along Church Street), it is also an historic community with Victorian houses and apartments dating back to the late 19th and early 20th century. Church and Wellesley is also home to the AIDS Memorial, located in Cawthra Park, where the names of members of the community that have been lost to AIDS are etched into bronze plaques. A memorial candlelight vigil is held each year at the AIDS Memorial, during Pride Week.
The "steps" in front of the Second Cup coffee shop on the south-west corner of Church and Wellesley is an infamous communal stoop, which is often packed with people chatting, flirting, and drinking coffee. While its significance as a social gathering spot has diminished in recent years, one still sees people "hanging out" in front of this establishment. Indeed, the "steps" were parodied by the Kids in the Hall, who themselves were from Toronto.
