Alexander Wood statue at the corner of Church and Alexander streets in Toronto

Alexander Wood (January 1772 – September 11, 1844) was a merchant and magistrate in Upper Canada, who was the center of a gay sex scandal in 1810. 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A magistrate is a judicial officer with limited authority to administer and enforce the law. ... Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Ontario Upper Canada is an early name for the land at the upstream end of the Saint Lawrence River in early North America – the territory south of Lake Nipissing and north of the St. ... Look up gay in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Until several decades ago, the word gay meant something like jolly or mirthful. In contemporary usage, however, that meaning is unusual; the term is usually synonymous with homosexual. ... A sex scandal is a scandal in which a public figure becomes embroiled in a situation where embarrassing sexual activities (or allegations of them) are publicized. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Wood, who was born in Scotland, moved to Upper Canada in 1793, settling in the town of York (now Toronto) four years later. He established himself as one of the city's leading merchants, and was appointed a city magistrate in 1800. Unusually for his time, Wood's homosexuality was a fairly open secret which he made no special effort to hide. He was widely known by the nickname "Molly Wood", Molly being a slang expression for a gay man. Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe and a constituent nation of the United Kingdom. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... York was the original name of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ... 1800 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Since its coining, the term homosexuality has aquired multiple meanings. ...

In 1810, Wood caused a scandal when he investigated a rape case. The woman who filed the claim testified that she had scratched her assailant's penis during the attack, and Wood personally inspected the suspects' genitals for injury. Several contradictory rumours existed about Wood's conduct during these inspections, and some even alleged that Wood fabricated the rape charge as an opportunity to fondle or seduce young men. To this day, the truth of what actually happened is unknown. The penis (plural penises or penes) or phallus is the external male copulatory organ, and, in mammals, the external male organ of urination. ...

Judge William Dummer Powell buried the potential sodomy charges against Wood, on condition that he leave Upper Canada; in October of 1810, Wood returned to Scotland. Sodomy is a term of religious origin to characterise certain sexual non-procreative acts. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...

By 1812, however, Wood was back in York, and resumed his prior appointment as a magistrate. He fought in the War of 1812, and was on the boards of several organizations. His life in York continued without incident until 1823, when Rev. John Strachan recommended Wood for a position on the 1812 war claims commission. Powell was the appointing authority, and refused to appoint Wood on moral grounds because of the rape investigation. Wood sued Powell for defamation and won, but Powell refused to pay, and subsequently published a pamphlet attacking Wood even further. 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The War of 1812 was a conflict fought in North America between the United States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... John Strachan (April 12, 1778-November 1, 1867) was an influential figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto. ... In English and American law, and systems based on them, libel and slander are two forms of defamation (or defamation of character), which is the tort or delict of making a false statement of fact that injures someones reputation. ...

Wood remained in York, and in 1827 he purchased 50 acres (0.2 km²) of land at Yonge and Carlton Streets, which became mockingly known as "Molly Wood's Bush". Wood finally returned to Scotland in 1842, and died there two years later. Despite the scandal, the newspaper obituaries paid tribute to Wood as one of York's most distinguished citizens. 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Yonge Street in Toronto before a marathon Yonge Street (pronounced young), located in Ontario, Canada, is a major arterial street in Toronto and a provincial highway. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The area once known as Molly Wood's Bush is now part of Toronto's Church and Wellesley gay village, and contains both an Alexander Street and a Wood Street. In 1994, playwrights John Wimbs and Christopher Richards launched a musical theater production, Molly Wood, based on Wood's life. View of Church Street looking north from Maitland Street Church and Wellesley is a gay-oriented community located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Torontos Church and Wellesley district, one of the largest gay villages in North America Rainbow flags are displayed in the Castro area of San Francisco as a symbol of gay pride The entrance to Chueca metro station in the Plaza de Chueca (Chueca square) in Madrid (Spain), during gay... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ...

In 2005, the Church and Wellesley business association erected a statue of Wood in the neighbourhood, honouring him as a forefather of Toronto's modern gay community. The statue, by sculptor Del Newbigging, was unveiled on May 28, 2005. The $200,000 cost was shared by the business association and the City of Toronto. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

External link

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Alexander Wood profile at Xtra!