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…" name="scriptn
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
Gay's The Word, the olst LGBT bookshop the UK, loted at 66 Marchmont St, London, England, WC1N 1AB. Fd Out More. * gay's the word bookstore *
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.
GAY’S THE WORD: SI ENGLAND’S ONLY LGBTQ BOOKSHOP
* gay's the word bookstore *
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. 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. ’”Over the years, Gay’s The Word has bee a val muny rource.
GAY’S THE WORD – LONDON’S INIC QUEER BOOKSTORE CONTU TO THRIVE
“It threw up lots of notns around inty, of what meant to be gay, ” remembers MacSweeney. Early Pri mte were anised om s fé, while gay socialist group Icebreakers and the Gay Black Group – the first of s kd the UK – were formed after meetg the shop. ) In 1984, Gay’s The Word also beme home to Lbians and Gays Support the Mers (LGSM), a socialist fundraisg group assistg the mers’ strike efforts.
GAY'S THE WORD
In 1984, HM Ctoms and Excise raid Gay’s The Word, seizg s imported stock unr the pretext that obscene works were beg sold, and brgg crimal charg agast the staff and directors.