Lgbtq friendly bookstores
Why Are Gay & Gay Bookshops Important?
Because reading is fundamental! OK so RuPaul didn’t quite mean it in this context, but it’s still true. Knowledge is power, and there's a lot of knowledge in reading. But it runs way deeper than that. Queer literature has always been a refuge, a place where we can see ourselves represented, with stories of people enjoy us finding triumph, love, joy and adventure.
So Queer and queer bookshops are necessary for our people. Partly because books, for so many, are the place where we can lose ourselves in a world away from the one in which we have been forced to hide who we are. But mostly because they’re more than just shops, they possess historically been group spaces, where people from all sides of our people have been qualified to meet, to make friends, to organise, to struggle back, to confer ideas and to feel safe.
The American Library Association has reported that in 2023 a staggering 4,240 books were banned in US schools and libraries. That’s more than any other year since records began. Many of those censored are Homosexual books. So having places where people can go and talk about, peruse and buy Diverse books has never been m
95 LGBTQ-Owned Bookstores You Can Be Proud to Support
In honor of Pride Month, we're revisiting this story that was originally published in 2020, along with an updated directory of queer-owned bookstores by declare. If you can’t build it to one of these stores in person, you can support them by shopping from their websites.
In March 2020, married couple Amy Elkavich and MerryBeth Burgess were getting ready to launch their independent, LGBTQ- and woman-focused bookstore, hello again books, in their Florida nook of Cocoa Village. The pair saw an opportunity—a need, as Elkavich told Oprah Daily, to “serve as an inclusive and safe space for those who seek one,” to make their community a more welcoming and warm space. “Visibility is everything in small towns, where books are some of the only windows to a more accepting world.”
Visibility is everything in miniature towns, where books are some of the only windows to a more accepting world.
Visibility allows people with marginalized identities to see themselves and their stories reflected in and worthy of art. As Oprah herself wrote: “When we see ourselves, our presence and existence in the world has been validated.” Additio
Magical Queer Bookstores From Around The World
These 10 gay bookstores are sure to notch a spot on your bucket list…
By Rowan O’Brien
Once I’ve chosen a vacation destination, my next step is to scour Google Maps for the local queer hangout spots, and my first look for is always for Homosexual bookstores. Walking into a queer bookstore in a new city is fond a warm embrace from a distant relative, somehow foreign and familiar at the same time. The queer history and quirks of its hometown are nestled within the shop’s walls, happy to unlock up to a approachable face. Whether you are looking for some bookstores to add to your travel itinerary or need to make one of these miraculous establishments the reason for the trip itself, here are 10 queer bookstores from around the world that are sure to notch a spot on your bucket list.
Glad Day Bookshop
Toronto
www.gladdaybookshop.com
Not only was Glad Day the inspiration for this list, but it is also the place that made me fall in treasure with queer bookstores. A second home to many queer patrons, myself included, Glad Day hosts a variety of events, from erotica readings to sapphic dance parties to Indigenous burlesque shows. It is also t
For queer people, LGBT-owned bookstores function as more than just a space to buy books, they’re informal meeting places, resources hubs, and safe spaces. This is especially factual in rural or politically conservative areas where being homosexual, trans, or non-gender conforming comes with a risk.
I’m successful enough to possess found solace and companionship in the haven of a queer bookshop: Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, New Hampshire. This woman-owned, queer-powered bookstore-café simultaneously functioned as my day career, community gathering hub, and artistic outlet when I needed those things most. Having a workplace where I knew sharing my pronouns and freely embracing my gender presentation would be secure was so valuable to me, and I made lifelong friends there. Queer-owned bookstores around the country offer a similar solace to their staff and patrons every sunlight. The twelve businesses on this list represent just some of the fabulous queer-owned bookstores that are working firm to protect free speech and provide a refuge for LGBT patrons.
Bookends in Florence, Massachusetts
Tucked into the beautiful Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, this woman loving woman bookstore is strongly co
Here’s the QSF list of friendly bookstores, compiled from member recommendations:
Australia:
Hares & Hyenas
http://www.hares-hyenas.com.au
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Canada:
Bakka Phoenix Books
http://www.bakkaphoenixbooks.com/
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Glad Day Books
http://www.gladdaybookshop.com/
Location: Toronto, Ontario
USA, Massachusetts
Calamus Bookstore
https://m.facebook.com/calamusbooks/
Location: Boston
Odyssey Bookshop
http://www.odysseybks.com/
Location: Hadley
Grey Matter Books
http://greymatterbookstore.com
Location: Hadley
Montague Bookmill
http://www.montaguebookmill.com
Location: Montague
Annie’s Bookstop
https://www.facebook.com/anniesbookstopworcester/?fref=ts
Location: Worcester
USA, Missouri
Rose’s Guide House
https://www.facebook.com/rosesbookhouse/?hc_location=ufi
Location: O’Fallon
USA, Oregon
Another Study Through
http://www.anotherreadthrough.com/contact/
Location: Portland
Powells Books
http://www.powells.com
Location: Portland
USA, Wisconsin
A Room of One’s Own
http://www.roomofonesown.com
Location: Madison