What to know
- Sapphic Shore returns to Hanlan’s Point for its second annual BIPOC sapphic beach day, offering a free gathering centred on community, belonging and accessibility.
- Organizers say many of Toronto’s Queer spaces remain white-centric and male-dominated, prompting the creation of a space designed by and for BIPOC sapphics.
- The event is part of the larger Coast & Colour beach takeover and invites attendees to swim, relax and connect in one of Toronto’s most historic 2SLGBTQIA+ spaces.
- Sapphic Shore is open to anyone who identifies as both BIPOC and sapphic, including women, Trans, Non-Binary, and Two-Spirit people.
For decades, Hanlan’s Point has been at the heart of Toronto’s Queer community. This summer, organizers behind Sapphic Shore are continuing that legacy by carving out a space where BIPOC sapphics can gather, connect, and simply feel at home.
Queer culture and history in Toronto are long intertwined with days at the beach. The first-ever “Gay Day Picnic” in the city, predating the now-annual parade, happened on Hanlan’s Point in June of 1971. About 300 people gathered at the beach, with activists using it as an opportunity to organize and plan the iconic “We Demand” rally in Ottawa that would occur later that same month.
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Fast forward 55 years later, and Toronto organizers are still heading to the Islands for 2SLGBTQIA+ beach days. Several groups run events at the historic Queer beach every summer. But the second-annual BIPOC sapphic beach day, AKA Sapphic Shore, is creating space for Sapphics of colour to mix, mingle, and enjoy space for us, and by us.
Coast & Colour, a larger BIPOC beach takeover at Hanlan’s Point, was founded in 2024 by a collective of organizations including Friends of Hanlan’s, Blocko/Blackness Yes!, Tashan Events, Jannat Ali, Shikshook and Meem. The following year, BIPOC Sapphics Hanlan’s, the organization behind Sapphic Shore, was created by local event organizers and community activists Zoë David-Delves and Gabriela Coto Fernandez. As women of colour, the duo recognized that even Toronto’s best-known 2SLGBTQIA+ spaces don’t always feel like they are designed for, or even welcoming of, everyone.
Organizers say many Queer spaces in Toronto are white-centric and male-dominated
While Church-Wellesley Village and Hanlan’s Point are celebrated as hubs of Toronto’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the organizers say those spaces are often centred around white Gay men, leaving Queer women of colour feeling invisible or isolated. Even many events marketed toward Lesbian and sapphic communities tend to be predominantly white, they say.
“We wanted to carve out a space for us where we didn’t feel ogled or out of place,” David-Delves told Queer & Now. “It’s very simple; it’s just a beach channel for us and by.”
So what is their solution? A beach hangout for BIPOC sapphics.
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“It’s a matter of comfort and belonging,” Coto Fernandez explained. “You’re surrounded by people who look like you, that you can identify with. And seeing yourself reflected in the people around you? That’s magical in itself.”
The organizers also highlighted that while they often receive feedback from the wider Toronto community that BIPOC exclusive events encourage segregation, this is not true.
“BIPOC-only events don’t encourage racial segregation,” David-Delves explained. “The aim of segregation is about keeping resources from people of colour, and we encourage people to read about the history of race and ethnicity-based segregation in this country and across the world to understand the true horrific nature of segregation.”
“We want to establish that segregation is not the same thing as ‘by and for’ parties.”
Sapphic Shore: Keeping things simple and accessible
Rather than programming packed with performances or activities, Sapphic Shore intentionally keeps things simple. While attendees do have to find their way to Hanlan’s, the gathering is otherwise free to attend, and for those who cannot afford the trip, complimentary tickets are available through organizers.
David-Delves and Coto Fernandez shared that their beach day invites sapphics in the city to swim, relax, meet new people and enjoy the beach together in an environment created by and for BIPOC sapphics. For the organizers, that accessibility is part of the point, offering an alternative to nightlife-centred Queer events while reclaiming space at one of Toronto’s most historic 2SLGBTQIA+ landmarks.
The women behind the event also explained that this is not a Lesbian-only event, and they understand that many Trans men, Trans women, gender nonconforming, nonbinary and Two-Spirit people identify as Sapphic. Anyone who identifies with the BIPOC and Sapphic labels is welcome to attend Saturday’s beach day.
This year’s event runs from 11 a.m. until sunset and will be located at the beach at the end of Trail 4, near the flagpole.
