Operation Soap may sound almost absurd by name, but it marked one of the most significant turning points in Toronto’s LGBTQ2S+ history.
In February 1981, Toronto police carried out a series of large-scale raids on gay bathhouses across the city, arresting hundreds of men and sparking widespread outrage. In response, thousands gathered in protest, demanding an end to police harassment and discrimination against the queer community.
The demonstrations that followed became a defining moment in LGBTQ2S+ organizing in Canada and helped lay the foundation for what would eventually become Toronto Pride.
