Three Canadian cities have made the list of the world’s most sexually liberal places, according to a new ranking.
Online publication Lust reports on the sex industry, eroticism, and the history of all things sex.
For its ranking, Lust took into account several factors, including the number of gay bars in a city, anti-discrimination laws, trans healthcare policies, access to contraceptives, the frequency of LGBTQI+ events, and the legalization of sex work to protect sex workers.
Lust awarded points for each criterion.
“The higher the prevalence, the higher the score and ranking position,” noted the online publication.
It added that sexual liberalism and sex positivity are important factors “that [encompass] the developmental state of many societal aspects.”
San Francisco took the top spot among 27 cities, followed by Amsterdam, Cologne, and Lisbon.
Vancouver placed fifth on the list, moving up five spots from 2023, making it the most sex-positive city in Canada.
Vancouver’s Annual Pride Parade (@vancouverpride/Instagram)
Lust noted the city has 24 sex shops, several gay bars, and eight large Pride events. The city also has four sex work organizations.
Gay marriage is legal (as it is across Canada) and there are no restrictions on changing your gender identity.
“The city is internationally renowned for its liberal and modern society, where no one is discriminated against for their lifestyle,” wrote Lust.
“Sexual freedom is very important in Vancouver, which is why the city comes fifth in this ranking.”
The second Canadian city to make the list was Montreal, coming in 11th place. With 27 sex shops and 18 large Pride events, Lust noted that the city is “one of the most liberal and liveable” places in the world.
Montreal’s Gay Village (@pseudosympa/Instagram)
The website added that there are “relatively few” gay bars in the city but it’s easy to connect with “like-minded” people through smartphone apps.
Lust also highlighted that Montreal technically doesn’t allow sex work as offering sexual services is not illegal, but buying them can result in punishment. However, this also applies to the other Canadian cities on the list.
Montreal dropped two spots from last year’s ranking when it placed ninth.
Toronto was the third Canadian city named on the list, coming in 13th, dropping one spot from its 2023 ranking.
Toronto’s Pride Parade (Shawn Goldberg/Shutterstock)
The city has a whopping 31 sex shops, 11 gay bars, and 20 large Pride events.
“Toronto does not have a red-light district with a large number of brothels, as the purchase of sexual services is not permitted by law. However, this does not change the fact that there are still opportunities to purchase sexual services,” wrote Lust.
The publication described Toronto as a generally very “liberal and open city.”
“With a little research on the internet, you should be able to find the right places quickly and nothing should stand in the way of a few erotic and relaxing hours,” it stated.
What may come as a surprise is that all Canadian cities on the list beat New York City, which was previously crowned the world’s most sexually free metropolis in Lust’s first ranking back in 2021.
This year, New York City placed 19th on the list.
“This is not because there is less sex-positive life there, but because global competition has become stronger,” stated Lust.
“While sex positivity used to be a fringe issue, it is now an integral part of many areas of society.”
What are your thoughts on this ranking? Let us know in the comments.
With files from Imaan Sheikh