Toronto bookstore that’s been around over 50 years is the oldest of its kind in the world

A bookstore, a community hub, a symbol of resilience, Toronto’s Glad Day has been all of these since 1970. The historic LGBTQ bookshop is not just a simple shop in the city, it’s the oldest of its kind in the world.

On one of the coldest evenings in Toronto, I made my way into “The Village.” The dark skies and biting cold set a gloomy tone, but the moment you step into the neighbourhood, everything shifts. There’s life here. And I’m not talking about people who are simply getting to their destination but rather a community with a sense of belonging. That very sentiment is felt throughout the strip, especially inside the four walls that keep Glad Day standing tall.

I walked inside the 499 Church Street location and was taken aback by the size of the space. It was my first time entering through those doors despite my numerous trips to The Village, and I immediately felt a wave of warmth and belonging, as if I had been missing out on something special all along. It felt safe, familiar – like I should have walked through these doors long ago.

People from all walks of life were here, chatting with friends, or on a solo date, sipping on a hot cup of coffee and reading a book. It wasn’t crowded but it still felt busy. Bookshelves lined the front of the room and the far back corner.

I met with Tianna Henry, Events lead and Social outreach coordinator for Glad Day, who spoke on the wonderful gem that is this bookstore and its history.

A great use for a backpack

It’s been over 50 years since Glad Day launched in Toronto, but the way it started was out of the ordinary. Jearld Moldenhauer launched the “bookshop” by riding around the city on his bike and sharing literature in response to the lack of queer materials available at that time. Glad Day had many homes across the city, in The Annex, Kensington Market, a storefront in Yonge Street before finding a spot on Church St in 2016.

“They moved here about a decade ago because it was going bankrupt and it was saved by a collective of queer trans folks who rallied around and saved it,” said Henry.

With the changing times and the emergence of e-books, the need for other sources of income grew. Here they could have a cafe and bar so while patrons could purchase books, they could also sit back and enjoy a drink or two while reading it.

Take a look at their collection. There’s a series of fiction and non-fiction books. Whether you’re into romance novels, or Fantasy, Horror and even reading from more Trans and Non-Binary voices. There’s a book for everyone.

As Glad Day adapted to the times, it also inherited a historic title along the way. Glad Day holds the title of “world’s oldest LGBTQ bookshop,” but that wasn’t always the case. That title belonged to the Oscar Wilde Bookshop in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighbourhood. It was founded by Craig Rodwell in 1967 before closing its doors on Mar. 29, 2009.

A united front

Now with the bookstore gaining worldwide attention, its popularity grew. During Pride Month, they welcomed notable visitors. A number of local, queer city councillors have strolled on by, and so have Canadian Indie pop stars Tegan and Sara. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also paid a visit in recent times. But despite its importance on a global scale, the pandemic dealt a heavy blow, forcing it to fight for survival.

“That was an interesting time because Glad Day has historically, in our 55 or so year history, often had to rely on mutual aid from our community. When we were battling censorship charges, when we were battling like the state coming for us, the police arresting our staff and other intense times,” shared Henry.

“So this crisis was another reminder an example of how queer and trans communities have always had to show up for each other and rely on mutual aid.” A fundraising campaign was immediately launched in an effort to provide financial support and resources to queer and trans individuals who immediately lost their income due to COVID-19.

“We’re talking about tip-based workers, primarily bartenders, sex workers, folks that suddenly couldn’t afford groceries the next day. And then a small portion of that went towards keeping Glad Day operational,” she shared.

Along with the fundraiser, Glad Day TV was launched, serving as a virtual events platform, for the community to stay connected and provide artists with money during that time. “We were able to throw events every day and have folks connect from all over the world,” added Henry. “And I’m really proud of that.”

A new chapter

Now post-pandemic, despite the excitement to once again reunite, there was this new normal the space had to navigate through. “There was a real transition of a lot of the community members that we had known and who would frequent our space pre-pandemic are, immunocompromised, a lot of them are lower income, a lot of them had to move out of the city because it has just become so expensive to live in Toronto. And so we saw lower numbers coming back,” expressed Henry.

There was a shift in people’s relationship to partying and being social, and towards the consumption of alcohol too. Since alcohol was a huge part of its sales, that has also affected them tremendously. “We’ve been really trying to see how we can still remain accessible in terms of our pricing and what we offer, as well as being able to keep up with quite a high rent in a very expensive neighbourhood,” she adds.

“So as the events lead, my biggest conflict is trying to balance being this accessible community space for the most vulnerable among our community, while also bringing in events that will help us pay for an event. And so that’s like a constant sort of battle that we’re not winning.”

A costly uphill battle

And it’s this financial battle that Henry shares, could determine the fate of Glad Day. In May 2024, Glad Day launched its “Save Glad Day” fundraiser. At the time of writing, organizers were asking for support in raising $300,000 to avoid eviction and pay rent while also securing one more stable year at the current location and creating the “next version of Glad Day”.

As of December 2024, they have raised over $192,000. “We’ve never thrived under capitalism in our history, I would say. Right now it’s a it’s a do or die moment where we are really, again, calling on our community to stand up for us as we’ve stood up for them over the years,” said Henry. “A lot of our community members that have been following us, don’t have trust funds, they don’t come from money but they have really stepped up for us in invaluable ways.”

A future of uncertainty

Glad Day still hosts events, whether that be trivia nights or Sunday Drag Brunches, that help build it up. Though their fundraiser remains. Nonetheless, Henry keeps herself open-minded. “We started in a backpack. We moved to a small shed, we moved to different venues around the city.”

“It isn’t the end of the world. And so what I try to tell people is that even if we don’t look like how we currently look like, you know, Glad Day will always sort of exist in one way or another. You can’t evict the idea of Glad Day,” she said. “We’re more than the shop.”

As I stepped back out into the cold and reflected on my moment inside, it was clear that Glad Day is a cornerstone of the community. It’s a place where stories are told, history is preserved, and people find not just books, but belonging. The idea of it leaving this space feels unthinkable, yet its future remains uncertain. But if history has proven anything, it’s that Glad Day, like the people it serves, has always found a way to survive.