The Ripped Bodice, Los Angeles, “Every romance writer knows The Ripped Bodice, the romance-dedicated and queer-owned indie in Los Angeles.We'll continue to add to this list, and if there are any that we missed, please make sure to let us know in the comments below! From New York to San Francisco, from Montgomery, Alabama to Verona, Wisconsin, we hope you'll find an indie bookstore near you to support-during Pride month and beyond. They are, above all, vital community spaces.Īs Shane Khosropour, Manager and Frontlist Buyer at Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago, told us: “I have heard from so many queer people over the years that Unabridged has been a sacred space for them, a place where they feel like they belong, where they will not be judged, where they feel seen and connected.”īelow, we’ve put together a comprehensive directory of LGBTQ-owned bookstores across America, shops that go above and beyond selling hardcovers and paperbacks to foster a sense of community, acceptance, and solidarity. These stores are more than shops to browse for books they are hubs for both entertainment and enlightenment, meeting grounds for hearts and minds. A Room of One's Own has been a fixture in downtown Madison, Wisconsin since 1975, and Chicago’s Women and Children First was started in 1979 by two women who fell in love as students at the University of Illinois. Charis Books and More, in Decatur, Georgia, was launched a year later. Founded in 1973 in the City of Brotherly Love, Philly AIDS Thrift Giovanni’s Room-honoring James Baldwin’s queer classic-is perhaps the oldest surviving LGBTQ and feminist bookstore in America. Ditto for Under the Umbrella Bookstore in Salt Lake City, Utah, forthcoming this fall.īut LGBTQ-owned bookstores have been around for decades. And more are on the way: After a successful crowdfunding campaign, The Salt Eaters in Inglewood, California-a literary hub centered on the stories of Black women, girls, femmes, and nonbinary people-is set to open its physical location later this year. In early 2020, Tombolo Books-so named for the bridge that connects an island to the mainland-opened in St.
Montgomery, Alabama’s 1977 Books opened in September of 2019, as did Minneapolis, Minnesota’s The Irreverent Bookworm. Her store's name is a nod to the progress being made, and was created to be a beacon of Elk Grove’s increasing diversity.Ī Seat at the Table and hello again books are just a few of many LGBTQ-owned stores we spoke to for this article that have sprung up within the past two years specifically. Their hometown, a “quiet little suburb” 20 minutes outside Sacramento, has not traditionally been a bastion of progressivism, but that is rapidly changing, with Autenrieth as one of the entrepreneurs at the forefront of that shift. 115 Queer Authors Share Their Fave LGBTQ BooksĪ Seat at the Table also opened in 2020, first as a pop-up but with plans to eventually open a physical location.Or as Emily Autenrieth, owner of A Seat at the Table in Elk Grove, California, puts it: “We’re here both for the marginalized groups that need that kind of safe, inclusive space, and for all the people in our community who want to be good allies or accomplices but don’t yet know how.” Related Stories As Oprah herself recently wrote: “When we see ourselves, our presence and existence in the world has been validated.” Additionally, representation can help prospective allies understand and become better advocates for individuals and groups whose experiences diverge from theirs. Visibility allows people with marginalized identities to see themselves and their stories reflected in and worthy of art.
“Visibility is everything in small towns, where books are some of the only windows to a more accepting world.” “Visibility is everything in small towns, where books are some of the only windows to a more accepting world.”
Still, 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 friendly space. Located along Florida’s “Space Coast,” known for its proximity to the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Village is an eclectic community with clothing boutiques, gift shops, restaurants, and craft breweries once upon a time, there even used to be a gay bookstore and bar, but those had long since closed when Elkavich and Burgess moved there. 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 cozy little Florida nook of Cocoa Village.