Gay’s The Word – London’s Inic Queer Bookstore Contu To Thrive

Contents:

•  GAY'S THE WORD 
• GAY’S THE WORD: SI ENGLAND’S ONLY LGBTQ BOOKSHOP
• GAY’S THE WORD – LONDON’S INIC QUEER BOOKSTORE CONTU TO THRIVE
• GAY'S THE WORD

 GAY'S THE WORD 

Fictn, Nonfictn, Young Adult Fictn, Classics, Poetry, Plays, Rare Books, Comg Out, pl Gay's The Word and LGSM merchandise. Gay's The WordWant an alternative to Amazon? Four s on — This week marks the 40th anniversary of Gay’s The Word, a UK stutn that fought police raids, prejudice and censorship to bee a hub of social activism.

Thursday 17 January, 2019Text by Patrick O’ConnellPhotography by Patrick O’Connell / Gay’s The WordUnassumgly sandwiched between a phone repair shop and a fé, Gay’s The Word has stood steadfastly on Bloomsbury’s Marchmont Street for 40 UK’s first LGBTQ bookshop has managed to outlive all s fellows – cludg Edburgh’s Wt and Wil, Brighton’s Out, and Charg Cross Road’s Silver Moon – which have all fallen victim to the enomic prsur pennt bs so often face.

GAY’S THE WORD: SI ENGLAND’S ONLY LGBTQ BOOKSHOP

As a rult, Gay’s The Word is one of only two extant queer bookshops the untry.

The uncil were reluctant to let the space to a gay tablishment – part due to an assumptn was a prank, given Ernt’s surname. “They said would be a porn bookshop bee that’s what gay bookshops were those days, ” says manager Jim MacSweeney, who has worked there sce 1989. “Our very first ads said: ‘London’s ser gay book shop is now open.

GAY’S THE WORD – LONDON’S INIC QUEER BOOKSTORE CONTU TO THRIVE

’”Over the years, Gay’s The Word has bee a val muny rource.

GAY'S THE WORD

“It threw up lots of notns around inty, of what meant to be gay, ” remembers MacSweeney.