Overall Change
The Toronto Bathhouse Raids brought a positive change for the LGBTQ2+ community, creating a turning point in history for this group. After years of taboo and suppression as a result of that taboo, these raids finally uncovered the massive support this group had, encouraging future members to feel safe in coming out or fighting back, unlike past instances. An upward trend was brought forth from these raids in terms of this group’s relationship with the Toronto Police Service as an apology was issued, the reception of the Pride Parade is held at the police headquarters, and the government legalized same sex marrigae in 2005, things that were far from reality in 1981. These raids marked the start of a movement for LGBTQ2+ rights, not only in Toronto, but in Canada as well, with this event sparking government support of LGBTQ2+ rights seen in the legalization of same sex marriage and political figures involvement in the annual Pride Parade, encouraging other parts of the world to follow by vocalising their support the community. The impact of these raids were felt so deeply, they have been compared to the 1969 Stonewall Riots, which began the movement for LGBTQ2+ in the United States. Without this event, this ‘turning point’ may not have been introduced, which provided a repressed community a voice to fight back discriminatory acts and cemented the path for further fights by setting an example and exposing otherwise silenced voices.
