519 Community Centre

The 519 Community Centre at 519 Church Street is Toronto's primary LGBTQ+ community facility — a City of Toronto–operated space that has been at the heart of the Church-Wellesley Village since the early 1980s. The centre provides a comprehensive range of social services: drop-in programming for LGBTQ+ youth, newcomers, and seniors; support groups for people living with HIV; crisis support; legal clinics; and community meeting space available to LGBTQ+ organisations across the city. The 519's history is inseparable from the history of Toronto's LGBTQ+ community: the centre played a central role in the community's response to the 1981 bathhouse raids, served as a focal point for AIDS organising in the 1980s, and has been the institutional home for countless LGBTQ+ community organisations over four decades. The building itself — a Victorian house on Church Street — is modest relative to Chicago's Center on Halsted, but the 519's role in the community is equally central. During Toronto Pride, the 519 is a hub of activity; the courtyard hosts events and the centre's programming ramps up significantly. For visitors who want to understand the depth and history of Toronto's LGBTQ+ community beyond its nightlife, the 519 is the essential stop.