Pages of Belonging: How Queer Bookstores Cultivate Community

A Legacy of Connection and Culture

Long before the rise of social media and digital platforms, queer bookstores served as vital spaces for connection, self-expression, and community building. These stores were more than places to buy books: they offered safe environments where LGBTQ+ individuals could see themselves represented in literature, exchange ideas, and cultivate networks of chosen family. The ongoing importance of queer representation in literature and the need for inclusive spaces make preserving these bookstores essential, even in the digital age.

In New York City, Greg Newton and Donnie Jochum embody this mission with The Bureau of General Services—Queer Division. Greg, with a background in art history and academia, and Donnie, bringing experience in retail and a lifelong love of literature, launched the bookstore in 2011 to fill the gap left by closures of iconic queer spaces like A Different Light and the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop. Their vision reflects the diversity, intellect, and vibrancy of queer culture while navigating the challenges of running an independent bookstore in a rapidly changing industry.

Queer Bookstores as Community Hubs

Queer bookstores have long been more than retail spaces: they are centers for creativity, dialogue, and cultural exploration. Beyond the shelves, these stores host exhibitions, workshops, performances, and storytelling events, fostering connection and conversation in ways mainstream bookstores rarely do. Unlike bars or nightlife venues, they provide inclusive environments where people can gather without the pressures of social norms tied to alcohol or nightlife culture.

Donnie emphasizes the importance of accessibility: “We want it to be hospitable, and we want everyone to feel like they can find themselves and explore and feel that randomness of discovery in a bookstore-type space.”

From its beginnings as a pop-up in a shared gallery on the Lower East Side to its current presence, The Bureau supports local and international queer creators through book consignment, art exhibitions, and events like collage parties and storytelling nights. By curating diverse voices and saying “yes” to emerging artists and writers, the bookstore continues to serve as a hub for queer culture and chosen family.

Preserving Queer Bookstores as Cultural Spaces

Historically, queer bookstores have provided unique and essential sources of community. While bars and gyms often served as gathering spaces, they could also feel intimidating, leaving many LGBTQ+ individuals searching for safer, more inclusive environments. Bookstores offered this refuge, allowing visitors to explore literature and art that reflected their identities and experiences.

Greg highlights the value of in-person connection: “It’s so important to be able to gather in person, to connect in person, face to face, unmediated. Nobody’s filtering it, nobody’s trying to direct you in one way or another. It’s just you come in and you navigate the space as you see fit and you talk to people you want to talk to.”

Despite closures driven by industry shifts, generational changes, assimilation, and other societal forces, queer bookstores remain vital spaces for creative collaboration, activism, and historical preservation.

Adapting to Virtual Communities

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged queer bookstores, which rely on in-person gatherings to build community. Many pivoted to online events, digital programming, and virtual engagement to maintain connections.

Greg reflected on this adaptation: “Here we were saying, oh, okay, well, now these tools are really useful. Let's use them. They're here.” By livestreaming events and creating archives of recorded programs, The Bureau expanded its reach beyond New York City.

Donnie adds, “The silver lining in that moment was that it provided the opportunity to test and trial, connect to a global community, which has continued to this day. We also have this tremendous library of videos recorded from our events… for longevity purposes, our YouTube channel is a library of cultural events that anybody can access.”

This shift demonstrates how queer bookstores can maintain community and accessibility even in challenging circumstances, reaching individuals in regions where queer spaces may be limited or unsafe.

Spaces of Resilience and Joy

Queer bookstores provide more than literature: they offer refuge, connection, and continuity. During periods of social hostility or public health crises, these spaces have anchored LGBTQ+ communities, supporting activism while fostering joy.

Greg and Donnie reflect on this balance: “People fighting during the AIDS crisis… were busy as activists, but they also partied… You gotta have joy. You gotta laugh. You gotta not let this take over your mind.”

Through exhibitions, readings, workshops, and gatherings, queer bookstores continue this dual role, linking historical struggles with contemporary community-building and reminding visitors that joy and discovery remain central to queer culture.

Finding Connection Through Books and Community

Queer bookstores allow individuals to explore identity, heal from past trauma, and build trust within supportive environments. For many LGBTQ+ people, these spaces restore a sense of belonging and self-acceptance often denied elsewhere.

Greg emphasizes connecting over shared passions: “Find groups that are related to those activities, so you’re connecting with people on a level that you feel excitement and passionate about already.”

Workshops, exhibitions, readings, and informal gatherings help foster connections rooted in curiosity, joy, and cultural exploration, highlighting the role of space, representation, and shared experience in sustaining queer communities.

Sustaining Queer Spaces

Queer bookstores remain vital spaces where intellect and emotion meet, offering both refuge and inspiration. They provide a place to process challenges, reflect on personal and collective experiences, and take deliberate steps toward building meaningful connections and fostering resilience. Even amid uncertainty or societal pressures, these spaces encourage both grief and celebration, acknowledging hardships while also making room for joy, creativity, and shared growth.

By supporting queer bookstores, individuals not only engage with literature and ideas but also contribute to the ongoing cultivation of community, care, and empowerment, ensuring that these havens continue to nurture and uplift LGBTQ+ lives for years to come.

And remember: every day is all we have, so you've got to make your own happiness.

For more information on this topic, listen to Episode 160. Why Queer Bookstores Matter: Preserving LGBTQ+ Culture and Community (with Greg Newton & Donnie Jochum).

Tune into your favorite podcast player every Tuesday for new episodes of A Jaded Gay.