Rage Against the Dying of the Light

Last week, I wrote about the importance of buying LGBT fiction so that the powers that be in the publishing world will continue to see it as something worth investing in. I noted that the gay & lesbian fiction sections at the bookstore I work for (a major bookstore chain) have shrunk drastically in recent years and that independent LGBT bookstores are closing at an alarming rate.

Sadly, another bookstore devoted exclusively to LGBT authors and titles is closing its doors. This time, the store is Out Word Bound, the only store of its kind in Indianapolis, Indiana. They'd been open since 1998 and will be closing after Christmas.

While it isn't of quite the same cultural magnitude as the end of a legendary store like the Oscar Wilde Bookshop, which closed earlier this year, this is still a big loss for the LGBT community in Indianapolis, and for gay literature in general. It's also the loss of a gathering place for the community, which is an equally painful subject. In many communities, such bookstores may well be the only gathering place, outside of clubs or bars, and their loss has a real impact.

The most frustrating part is that they cite the inclusion of LGBT titles in major bookstore chains, like the one I work for, as a reason for the closure, noting that it was the death knell for independent LGBT bookstores. This is especially painful since, as I mentioned, even the big chains are carrying far fewer LGBT titles.

This means that soon there may be very few places left for readers to go at all when they're looking for gay themed books. A genre of literature that sprang up and flourished over the past forty years seems to be dying a slow death now.

We can't let that happen. If you have an independent LGBT bookstore in your area, please support it by shopping there as often as you can. If you don't, then visit a chain store and purchase titles, and while you're there, let the staff know that you'd like to see a wider selection of titles.

If you don't have any way of going to a brick and mortar store to buy these works or if you're not out and don't feel comfortable doing so (believe me, I remember what that was like!) then the Internet is your friend! A lot of independent bookstores have websites you can purchase from so that you can support them even if they're not in your city.

The important thing is to speak with your wallet and let the book world know that there is still an audience out there for gay literature!