A landmark day for members of Toronto’s LGBTQ community,

Toronto’s police chief has officially said the force “regrets” raids more than 35 years ago – that explicitly targeted gays.

Chief Mark Saunders addressed a series of raids on Toronto bathhouses in 1981 – that saw officers barging into four establishments – where they rounded up the people inside.

Nearly 300 people were arrested and charged with owning or being found in a common bawdy house.

Saunders says the February 1981 event was dramatic because of its “destructiveness.”

More than 90 per cent of the charges were eventually dropped in years to come – but the raids galvanized Toronto’s gay community – to fight for their rights and find a political voice.