Thirty-one years ago this week, NOW launched its first issue with TIFF’s precursor, the Festival of Festivals, on our front cover. In that same issue, NOW announced the first Take Back The Night march, covered gay rights and mayor Art Eggleton’s support for them, and featured three pages of events listings. Some things haven’t changed much: Take Back The Night still happens annually and is still, unfortunately, vital given the recent rash of sexual assaults in the downtown core. But things are different now. Our original film writer, John Harkness, passed away in 2007, our current mayor shuns the queer community, and NOW’s blown up from 24 pages on September 10, 1981, to well over 100 pages almost every week.
Travel back in time with NOW’s online archives. Just use the cool new searchable viewer online at nowtoronto.com/archives
