It is with sadness that I report that Lambda Rising bookstores in Washington, DC and Rehoboth Beach are closing. This is just the latest in a string of bookstore closings, including Oscar Wilde in New York City and Out Word Bound in Indianapolis.
The dying independent gay and lesbian book store is sad on many levels. Although many gay and lesbian books can now be found online, it is not the same as the experience of going into a store and being able to browse inventory, pick a book off the shelf and leaf through it.
And then there is the author reading. There's nothing I enjoy more than going to a bookstore to hear authors read from their work, to be able to meet them in person and get their signature. You can hear them talk about their writing process, why they chose to tell the story they did and learn a little bit about them. As a friend of mine said, after really cool reading from an anthology, "You can't get this experience on Amazon.com."
It's true. While I love the internet for some things, I don't think it can replace the face to face connections we need in our lives. Which is the other really important aspect of gay and lesbian bookstores: a gathering place for the community. Our local feminist bookstore hosts queer open mic nights, yoga classes, women's writing groups and movie nights. For those who don't like the bar scene or are just coming out, LGBT-friendly gathering places are essential. The loss of our gay and lesbian bookstores gives us one less place to go to be in safe company. I wonder if anything will ever fill that void.
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The closing of these bookstores is horrible. I do hope & pray that my local LGBT bookstore doesn’t close. (Northamptons Pride & Joy in MA) Not only are the owners exceptional people, but they have ordered non-LGBT books for me so I can purchase gifts & shop locally. There is something to be said about the customer service in a brick & mortar. Yes sometimes it’s nice to get that 10% savings at the big box, but I have to say the individual customer service I have recieved does not compare. Good luck to any & all small businesses.
This is especially horrible, because Lamda (and previously Lammas) and Sophie’s Parlor (now broadcast on WPFW 89.3 FM or WPFW.org) launched the women’s music genre. Believe it or not, Washington, DC, in the early 1970’s was the launch pad of music by women, about women, for everyone!
I loveBig and Nice Asses
It is sad to hear of another gay and lesbian bookstore closing.
Giovanni’s Room, the oldest G&L bookstore located in Philly, would suffer the same fate if it weren’t for the support of the G&L community.
To help raise money to repair the outer wall of the building, my company, Bitch Mode Productions.com donated merchandise to sell for full profit. Let’s face it, we need each other in order to build a strong community.
Gay and Lesbian establishments are the anchor of gay communities. I’ve always enjoyed browsing the shelves while on vacation in Key West, P-town, etc. The internet may provide convenience but Gay & Lesbian bookstores provide experience! It also gives local artists and small businesses a chance to gain an audience.
My 2 Cents worth,
KathyT
Bitch Mode Productions