Tom Warner was born in Saskatchewan in 1952. He grew up in Prince Albert. He attended, first, the University of Saskatchewan and then the University of Toronto, receiving a BA. In 1971, Tom helped found the first gay community centre in Saskatoon. He moved to Toronto in 1973, where he helped found and has been active in several gay rights organizations including the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario. He is one of Canada's leading gay activists. Tom was an Ontario Human Rights Commissioner from 1993-1996.