TORONTO- A bronze statue of one of Canada’s first gay public figures was unveiled in the heart of the city’s gay village May 28. Hundreds of people were on hand to witness the first glance of the 2.5-metre monument of Alexander Wood, a 19th century city magistrate.

“Two years ago, we decided we wanted to do a public art project,” said Dennis O’Connor, chair of the Church-Wellesley Village Business Improvement Area, the organization that decided to honor Wood as a forefather of the gay community. “We chose him because he has a connection to our community, and this particular spot.” In 1827, Wood purchased a parcel of land in what is now Toronto’s gay neighborhood. The statue is located in the area, on the corner of Church and Alexander streets, the latter of which is named after Wood.

At the time, many mockingly referred to the flamboyant Wood as Molly Wood, Molly being one of the era’s derogatory terms for homosexuals. Those at the ceremony said Wood’s statue and accompanying plaque provide an important history lesson for the gay and straight communities.

There are gay rights monuments in Amsterdam, Holland as well as New York City and Berlin, Germany.

Wood established himself as one of Toronto’s leading merchants and was appointed as a city magistrate in 1800.

Wood became the centre of a gay sex scandal 10 years later when he was accused by several young men of fondling them during a rape investigation. A woman who claimed to have been attacked by a group of men told Wood she had scratched the penis one of the assailant, so Wood took it upon himself to investigate the suspects’ genitals.

He was soon forced to flee to Scotland in order to avoid potential sodomy charges. At the time, homosexuality was an offence punishable by death.

Wood returned to Canada two years later, without charge.

With the unveiling of the $200,000 statue, many members of the gay community hope Wood will become a more widely recognized figure in Canadian history.  —-staff