When artist Travis Myers heard about a spike in hate and violent crimes on the “sacredly queer space” of Hanlan’s Point over the last few years, he wanted to create something there that members of the LGBTQ community could “point to” and feel proud of.
“At a time when we are seeing rights repealed across North America, there are some places that should be sacrosanct,” the 35-year-old award-winning queer artist said. “When we’re talking about a place where the first Pride happened — that is as close as we’re gonna get to a type of living monument space.”
So Myers, co-founder of Friends of Hanlan’s, approached the city last fall with his vision to recognize that significance, which received unanimous support. What he ended up creating is “The Long Walk to Equality,” a 600-metre painted rainbow road located at Beach Road on Hanlan’s Point, the site that held Canada’s first Pride in 1971. Myers’ work surpasses the rainbow bicycle path in Utrecht, the Netherlands, that measures at just over 570 metres and had been considered as the longest painted rainbow trail in the world.
The permanent art installation, made in collaboration with Pride pc28and with donations from the Waterfront BIA, Gilead Health, Freddie Pharmacy, Billy Bishop airport and Skittles Canada, was unveiled on May 25. It represents the six-colour pride flag as well as the Progress Pride flag — with the design including the trans, Black and brown chevrons of the flag at each end of the road. It took Myers and a crew of paint contractors just a few days to complete. He chose eco-friendly paint to protect the land and lake.
pc28artist Travis Myers brought his idea to the city last fall, which received unanimous support.
André BarretoLast summer, the clothing-optional beach on Hanlan’s Point was officially recognized by the city as a historically queer space, and expanded from Gibraltar Point to Billy Bishop Airport.
According to the , this beach has acted as a social space, where members of Toronto’s queer community could safely gather and have the freedom to express themselves while meeting one another, long before gay bars and dating apps were a thing.
Myers points out to the significance of the road’s location, which is on the parkland at Hanlan’s — following the same path the predecessors of the queer community in pc28would march on while demanding equal rights decades ago.
“It was my hope with this project that there will be an opportunity for something creative to take shape at Hanlan’s Point, in order to better communicate that queer history and that queer importance in the past and the present day,” Myers said.
“Being able to point to the past and say, we’ve actually always been here is one way of saying that we actually deserve to be here in the present and in the future as well.”
Pride pc28told the Star in a statement that this rainbow crosswalk will serve as a permanent legacy for 2SLGBTQI+ people “for generations to come. We thank all the generations before us for paving the way.”
Myers shares the sentiment. “Creating something that’s bold and unmissable not only gives the community something they can look to and feel proud of, but it’s also something that can act as a reminder for people in those other decision making capacities that there is something here that’s worth preserving,” he added. He encourages members of the LGBTQ community to walk the road, and to use that time to reflect.
“What I really would love is for people to come and stand in those spots and feel the queer history of people like them, going as far back as possible and stretching as far into the future as possible, because that’s what (the road) is meant to symbolize.”
Correction — June 1, 2024
This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said Hanlan’s Island was host to Canada’s first Pride. In fact, it was the host of Toronto’s first Pride-related event. As well, this article was updated to include the list of donors behind the project.
