Inspiration LGBTQ+ Travel The 8 Best LGBTQ-Owned and Affirming Bookstores in the US These spaces remind us that LGBTQ writers deserve to be celebrated year round By Aleenah Ansari Aleenah Ansari Freelance Writer, Video Producer Instagram LinkedIn Twitter University of Washington Aleenah Ansari is a writer and video producer at Microsoft. Her work has been featured in Business Insider, The Seattle Times, CNBC Grow Mag, Kulfi, and more. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Published on 06/13/22 Christina Vartanova / Getty Images It’s Pride Month! We’re kicking off this joyous, meaningful month with a collection of features completely dedicated to LGBTQ+ travelers. Follow along on a gay writer’s thought-provoking Kentucky road trip and learn about the tropical honeymoon hotspot that embraces all genders. Then, find inspiration for your future trips with our guides to the ins and outs of gay cruising, charming LGBTQ+ bookstores you can support, and the world’s most vibrant gay villages. However you make your way through the features, we’re glad you’re here with us to celebrate the beauty and importance of inclusivity and representation within the travel space and beyond. There’s nothing better than an independent bookstore—they often reflect the communities where they’re located, amplify local authors, and even host events where authors share more about their work. Every time I walk into a bookstore, I go straight for the LGBTQIA+ books section and often sigh relief when I find it. I’m accepted here, I think. It’s a reminder that the stories of queer and trans writers and artists deserve to be celebrated not just during Pride Month but year-round. If you’re looking for queer-owned and affirming bookstores across the country, these eight bookstores across the U.S. have you covered. Drop by to find books by queer and trans writers, cards, gifts, and even care packages. 01 of 08 A Room of One's Own Courtesy of A Room of One's Own View Map Address 2717 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704, USA Get directions Phone +1 608-257-7888 Web Visit website Since it was purchased by long-time employees and booksellers Gretchen and Wes, A Room of One’s Own has been a trans and queer-owned and operated anti-racist, abolitionist feminist bookstore with a wide selection of queer novels, picture books, fiction, romance, and non-fiction. For three and a half years, marketing and social director Fawzy Taylor says that many queer folks have visited from smaller towns and sobbed when seeing so many queer books, a testament to the power of sharing the work of queer and trans writers. The store also offers curated book subscriptions in six-month or one-year options and Queer Qare packages, curated care packages for recently out trans youth. They’ve continued curating and shipping care packages (for U.S. customers only, due to shipping costs) with surprises including books, stickers, keychains, pins, and more. 02 of 08 Hello Again Books Courtesy of Hello Again Books View Map Address 411 Brevard Ave, Cocoa, FL 32922, USA Get directions Phone +1 321-877-0351 Web Visit website Hello Again Books is a new and used local bookstore and gift shop in Cocoa Village, Florida. Owned by a married lesbian couple, Hello Again Books is built on the core values of community, diversity, and creativity and creates an inclusive space in the community for anyone who needs one. Check out their monthly events, including an LGBTQIA+ social on Friday evenings where you can come by to socialize, enjoy a beverage, and play card games. They also host events with local authors, weekly knitting circles, and a book club during the last week of the month. 03 of 08 Unabridged Bookstore Courtesy of Unabridged Bookstore View Map Address 3251 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657, USA Get directions Phone +1 773-883-9119 Web Visit website Owner Ed Devereux opened Unabridged Bookstore in 1980, and the space continues to be Chicago’s go-to bookstore for LGBTQIA+ literature, although they offer several genres for any book lover. The bookstore donates a portion of its proceeds to local communities; to honor the Black Lives Matter movement, the store has donated to an organization contributing to racial, social, environmental, and economic justice. During June, they’re supporting the Chicago Abortion Fund. They also have many book clubs for queer books, fiction, and speculative books, among other events, making this a bookstore where queer people can feel connected, safe, and seen. 04 of 08 Womencrafts Courtesy of Womencrafts View Map Address 376 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657-2320, USA Get directions Phone +1 508-487-2501 Web Visit website Womencrafts is a lesbian-owned and operated feminist book and gift shop serving as a hub for activism, community, and connected conversation for queer travelers and community members. The shop was purchased in 2015 by Michelle Axelson, a social worker and former member of a transgender health team who is passionate about ensuring that the space is a truly intersectional feminist, queer bookshop. In addition to having 1,000 books in every genre, from memoirs to lesbian pulp fiction, you’ll find art, pins, greeting cards, pottery, jewelry, and more by over 100 female artists. They’ve set the goal to ensure that 50 percent of all new titles are written by BIPOC authors and have a bestseller list of books written by women, which is worth checking out. Continue to 5 of 8 below. 05 of 08 All She Wrote Books Courtesy of All She Wrote View Map Address 451 Artisan Way, Somerville, MA 02145, USA Get directions Phone +1 617-440-4623 Web Visit website All She Wrote Books is an intersectional and inclusive queer and feminist bookstore. Christina Pascucci Ciampa founded the store to amplify stories written by underrepresented voices. What started as a three-shelf cart she would set up in larger bookstores evolved into her own brick-and-mortar bookstore in Somerville, Massachusetts. Some of the bookstore's inclusive queer-friendly programming includes draft queer story hour, storytelling with picture book author Joana McClintick, and adult queer story time with Neema Avashia, where participants can share their coming out stories and hear coming out stories from others in the community. 06 of 08 Dreamers & Make-Believers Courtesy of Dreamers & Believers View Map Address 400 S Highland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA Get directions Phone +1 410-624-5624 Web Visit website Dreamers & Make-Believers is an inclusive comic book shop and bookstore focusing on stories by and for BIPOC folks, women, and the LGBTQIA+ community. This was the first bookstore in this neighborhood of Southeast Baltimore, and now it provides graphic novels and books to locals and visitors alike. They also host several pop-up events around the city. 07 of 08 The Irreverent Bookworm Courtesy of Irreverent Bookworm View Map Address 5163 Bloomington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA Get directions Phone +1 612-500-4339 Web Visit website Opened in late 2019, The Irreverent Bookworm is a queer and woman-owned bookstore in the Twin Cities with a range of books, a cozy kids' room, and plenty of seating if you're trying on a book for size. They sell various used books and new releases, with every single book purchased at this bookstore furthering the movement of living unapologetically and authentically. For June, they're having a clearance sale on thousands of books, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to Family Tree Clinic, a local community clinic. 08 of 08 1977 Books Courtesy of 1977 Books View Map Address 1708 Norman Bridge Rd, Montgomery, AL 36104, USA Get directions Phone +1 334-409-1315 Web Visit website 1977 Books started as the “How We Get Free” book club in founders Alison and Stef’s living room, where participants gathered to read and discuss Combahee River Collective’s seminal text on intersectional feminism. Fast forward to the present day, and the little book club that could has evolved into a thriving volunteer-run abolitionist bookstore and community space. The bookstore encourages community members to start their own book club and will even offer a discount on books for those who join one. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit Share Pin Email