Glad Day Bookshop
17 people recommend, 3 warn against itvia r/toronto, r/askTO22 comments cited below
What people say, in short
Visitors recommend Glad Day, an LGBTQ-focused bookshop, widely, and a couple call it the oldest queer bookshop in the world. A couple say they love it, and one found moving poetry browsing its poetry section. Several visitors, however, say it is less of a bookshop than it was, with the stock shrinking or giving way to its cafe and bar, and one finds the themes narrow.
Address
Glad Day, 32 Lisgar St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2C6, Canada
At a glance
- Best for
- Browsing, Specialist books
- Opinions divided
- Yes
- Known for
- LGBTQ focused books, Poetry
Nearby on this map
Other places on this map closest to Glad Day Bookshop, as the crow flies.
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Mixedu/julieapplevondutch in r/toronto · Jul 2024
Visited once for coffee and browsing; found books pricey and overly narrow in theme; unsure of its bar-bookshop-cafe identity.
- Recommendsu/BakkaPhoenix in r/toronto · May 2025
Calls Glad Day a fantastic shop with a great community and hopes its new space works out.
- Recommendsu/Seamless-Transition in r/askTO · Jan 2026variety
Suggests browsing Glad Day, an LGBTQ-focused shop on Queen West with plenty to discover, though no specific book pick.
- Recommendsu/greensandgrains in r/askTO · Jun 2024
Ranks this shop first among its favourites.
- Recommendsu/KatSelesnya in r/toronto · Feb 2025
Loves the shop and prefers ordering books there over larger retailers; found moving poetry while browsing its poetry section.
- Caveatu/Awesome_Power_Action in r/toronto · May 2024
Thinks Glad Day is a weaker bookstore now; notes other Toronto indie shops carry plenty of LGBTQ titles.
- Recommendsu/hokusmouse in r/askTO · Jun 2024
Names this shop as a favourite in reply to the question.
- Recommendsu/Thick_Shower_1405 in r/askTO · Mar 2025
Calls it the world's oldest surviving queer bookstore and urges people to back it.
Show all 22 cited comments
- Recommendsu/racecarbrain in r/askTO · Jun 2024variety
Recommends it as a go-to for queer-focused books.
- Recommendsu/ikilledsatann in r/askTO · Jan 2026
Agrees the shop is really cool and believes it also stocks zines.
- Recommendsu/Outside-Practice-658 in r/askTO · Mar 2025
Suggests Glad Day in reply to the request for LGBTQ+ shop ideas.
- Recommendsu/cabaretlights in r/askTO · Mar 2025
Adds this shop on Church as another good option beside the earlier suggestions.
- Recommendsu/akinto29 in r/askTO · Aug 2026
Names this shop as a suggestion.
- Mixedu/RandyFMcDonald in r/toronto · Jul 2024
Wishes the shop well but says it fails at mixing bookshop, bar and cafe roles; the book stock is shrinking, which is sad.
- Caveatu/ZealousidealStand195 in r/toronto · May 2024variety
Feels the shop does not prioritise its book stock.
- Caveatu/GraphicBlandishments in r/toronto · May 2025variety
Feels Glad Day is hardly a bookshop now, with few shelves left and most of the space given to a cafe.
- Recommendsu/pansyradish in r/askTO · Jun 2024
Names this shop as a pick with enthusiasm.
- Recommendsu/ResourceOk8692 in r/askTO · Mar 2025
Says Glad Day is worth visiting, agreeing with other commenters.
- Recommendsu/Kris_t13 in r/toronto · Feb 2025
Loves this shop and makes a habit of buying a book there each Pride season.
- Recommendsu/catcroissant in r/askTO · Oct 2024
Finds it surprising nobody had named this shop, which they say holds the title of oldest queer bookshop globally.
- Recommendsu/-mayolais- in r/askTO · Aug 2026
Names this shop as a suggestion.
- Recommendsu/FilmNerd99 in r/askTO · Jan 2026service
Suggests phoning Glad Day Books, since staff could likely offer reading suggestions even without a specific pick.
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Freshness
Details last checked 11 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.