Graph Legend
3 Events
3 Places
3 People
3 Orgs
10 Titles
October 31 Toronto A gay street […]
When
1977-10-31
Description
October 31 Toronto A gay street patrol, Operation Jack O'Lantern, was launched to curb homophobia on Yonge Street and the surrounding gay neighbourhood during Halloween. This action was taken after unsuccessful meetings were held earlier in October between Toronto police and representatives of GATE (Toronto) and MCC Toronto. In previous years the police had taken a casual attitude and did little to control the anti-gay mob that had traditionally formed on Yonge Street opposite the St. Charles Tavern. The police had encouraged gays to stay away from the St. Charles on Halloween. Dissatisfied with the police's position, members of GATE (Toronto) contacted local political representatives including Alderman Allan Sparrow, MPP Margaret Campbell, and Mayor David Crombie. All three politicians contacted police officials to express their dissatisfaction with the police response, and urged them to provide adequate protection for the gay community on Halloween. On October 31, the gay patrol and a hundred policemen were successful in working together to curb violence in the community. Still, the crowd of 5,000 people that gathered outside the St. Charles was unruly. Seventeen people were arrested and charged with causing a disturbance or with being a common nuisance. An additional thirty-eight people were removed by police to prevent a breach of the peace, but were not charged.
