America's Oldest Gay Bookstore Closing in Philadelphia.

[RiffRandell]

Holding hands, a straight couple stops near the store's outside wall to read a Blue Historical Marker citing Giovanni's Room as a "refuge" for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Founded in 1973, the shop is known as the oldest gay bookstore in America. On its final day, just weeks before a federal court struck down Pennsylvania's gay marriage ban, the front door was adorned with a different kind of marker, this one announcing, "50% off everything – this is our last day. Thanks for all the years of love and support, XOXO Giovanni's Room."

The store has played a critical role in so many people's lives," says Hermance, 73, with neatly parted gray hair. "Coming in the store can be like coming out to yourself."

In the past five years, many gay bookstores in major cities have shut down. Due to poor sales, 2009 saw the shuttering of New York's Oscar Wilde Bookshop. In 2010 Lambda Rising in Washington D.C. closed, as did San Francisco's A Different Light the following year. In 2012, Atlanta's Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse met the same fate.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-last-day-at-giovannis-room-americas-oldest-gay-bookstore-20140521#ixzz32PG4AIrs
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[theHandpuppet]

1. Wow... can't believe they're all gone.

[MADem]

2. On the one hand there's nostalgia for what the article quite properly calls a "refuge."

On the other hand, equality is taking hold so 'refuges' are not quite so needed.

It's one of those bittersweet things, I guess.

[theHandpuppet]

3. You're right, of course

Back in the day, other than at a bar these bookstores were the only safe places you could socialize. Besides which, that's where the political activists would gather. In it's own odd way it was tremendously energizing because once folks crossed that threshold all that pent up frustration and energy and ideas just came pouring out.

[tishaLA]

4. I spent many, many hours in Giovanni's Room....

and learned so much from their excellent, knowledgeable staff and saw many LGBT writers give readings and fire people up.

I haven't been there since I moved to the west coast--it was never on my list of things to do when I've gone home to visit--but I will cherish forever my days and evenings spent in one of the store's rooms, paging through the latest bit of queer theory or looking back at classic writings by Adrienne Rich, James Baldwin, and Audre Lorde.