By Chris Olsen

These independent bookstores are crucial in providing access to LGBTQ+ literature, creating safe spaces, and supporting the community through various events and resources. Join Publish Her in supporting these bookstores with pride all year long:

Arizona

ANTIGONE BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned bookstore and feminist landmark in Tuscan, Arizona for more than 50 years; owned by Morgan Miller, Melissa Negelspach and Kate Stern. AntigoneBooks.com

California

AMATORIA FINE ART BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned brick and mortar shop in the heart of Sacramento, California’s Midtown; owned by Miranda Culp and Laurelin Gilmore. AmatoriaFineArtsBooks.shop

DOG EARED BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned San Francisco, California-based bookshop featuring new and used books and more; owned by Kate Razo. DogEaredBooks.com

OMNIVORE BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned culinary bookstore in California’s Bay Area featuring new and vintage titles; founded and owned by Celia Sack. OmnivoreBooks.com

REPARATIONS CLUB: A Black and LGBTQ-owned Los Angeles, California-based concept shop featuring books and home goods; owned by Jazzi McGilbert. Rep.club

THE RIPPED BODICE: An LGBTQ and woman-owned romance-only bookstore located in Culver City, California; founded by sisters Leah Koch and Bea Hodges-Koch. TheRippedBodiceLA.com

THE SALT EATERS: A Black and LGBTQ-owned bookstore in Inglewood, California, prioritizing Black women, girls, femmes and gender expansive individuals; founded by Asha Grant. TheSaltEatersBooks.com

Connecticut

READER’S BLOCK: A Black and LGBTQ-owned indie bookshop providing an inclusive and welcoming environment in the Stratford community of Connecticut; founded Tondrea Mabins. ReadersBlockBookstore.com

District of Columbia

LOYALTY BOOKSTORES: A Black and queer bookseller in Washington, DC and Silver Springs, Maryland, working to diversify the book industry and promote anti-racist reading; founded by Hannah Oliver Depp. LoyaltyBookstores.com

Florida

HELLO AGAIN BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned bookstore located in Cocoa, Florida, prioritizing titles with female and non-white protagonists; owned by MerryBeth Burgess and Amy Elkavich. HelloAgainBooks.com

SPIRAL CIRCLE: An LGBTQ-owned metaphysical bookstore, lifestyle shop and spiritual center in Orlando, Florida; owned by Summer Rodman and Julie Wilder. SpiralCircle.com

TOMBOLO BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned independent bookstore located in St. Petersburg, Florida; owned by Candice Anderson and Alsace Walentine. TomboloBooks.com

Georgia

YES, PLEASE BOOKS: A Black and queer-owned book house and care space in Scottsdale, Georgia honoring Black women and gender expansive writers and readers; founded by Lauren M. Jones. YesPleaseBooks.com

Hawaii

KONA BAY BOOKS: This LGBTQ-owned booklover’s paradise is the largest of its kind in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii; owned by Sarah Gibbon. KonaBayBooks.com

KONA STORIES BOOKSTORE: An LGBTQ-owned bookstore located in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, specializing in Hawaiiana and more; founded by Brenda McConnell and Joy Vogelgesang. KonaStories.com

Illinois

LIT. ON FIRE BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned bookstore serving the West Main District of Peoria, Illinois with its thoughtfully curated selection of books and inclusive community events; founded by Jessica Stephenson. LitOnFirePia.com

WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST: A Chicago, Illinois-based LGBTQ-owned bookstore celebrating and amplifying underrepresented voices since 1979; owned by Sarah Hollenbeck and Lynn Mooney. WomenAndChildrenFirst.com

Maryland

DREAMERS AND MAKE-BELIEVERS BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned comic shop and bookstore in Southeast Baltimore, Maryland, focusing on BIPOC, women and the LGBTQ+ community; founded by Miranda Nordell. DreamersBooks.com

LOYALTY BOOKSTORES: A Black and queer bookseller in Washington, DC and Silver Springs, Maryland, working to diversify the book industry and promote anti-racist reading; founded by Hannah Oliver Depp. LoyaltyBookstores.com

Massachusetts

ALL SHE WROTE BOOKS: An intersectional feminist and queer indie bookstore in Somerville, Massachusetts supporting, celebrating and amplifying underrepresented voices; founded and owned by Christina Pascucci Ciampa. AllSheWroteBooks.com

WOMENCRAFTS: One of the oldest shops in Provincetown, Massachusetts, this LGBTQ-owned feminist bookshop is dedicated to promoting the work of female artisans, authors and musicians; owned by Michelle Axelson. WomencraftsPtown.com

Minnesota

BLACK GARNET BOOKS: A St. Paul, Minnesota-based Black and queer woman-owned bookstore specializing in Adult and YA contemporary literature by Black and racially diverse authors; founded by Dionne Sims. BlackGarnetBooks.com

THE IRREVERENT BOOKWORM: A LGBTQ-owned new and used bookshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota providing a diverse selection of books in an inclusive environment; owned by Meg Nielsen. IrrevBooks.com

Michigan

BETTIE’S PAGES: The coolest, queerest and best little bookstore in Lowell, Michigan featuring a selection of books, stickers and odds and ends; owned by Meg Nielsen. BettiesPages.com

BOOKS AND MORTAR BOOKSTORE: Grand Rapids, Michigan’s proudly progressive, consciously curated, and fiercely independent LGBTQ-owned bookstore; owned by Jenny Kinne. BooksAndMortar.com

Mississippi

VIOLET VALLEY BOOKSTORE: A queer feminist nonprofit bookstore in Water Valley, Mississippi; founded by Dr. Jaime Harker. VioletValley.org

Montana

MONTANA BOOK CO.: An LGBTQ- and veteran-owned independent bookstore located on historic Last Chance Gulch in downtown Helena, Montana; founded by Chelsia A. Rice. MTBookCo.com

New Jersey

HOWLING BASSET BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned independent bookstore in downtown Oldwick, New Jersey, offering books and gifts; owned by Lisa Lynch and Zohar Kfir. HowlingBassetBooks.com

New York

ASTORIA BOOKSHOP: A queer-owned general interest bookstore in the heart of Western Queens, New York; owned by Lexi Beach. AstoriaBookshop.com

MIL MUNDOS BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned bilingual bookstore and community center in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York, celebrating Black, Latinx and Indigenous heritage; founded by Maria Herron. MilMundosBooks.com

North Carolina

ROFHIWA BOOK CAFÉ: A Black LGBTQ-owned independent book and coffee shop located in East Durham, North Carolina; owned by Bev Tumi Makhubele and Naledi Yaziyo. RofhiwaBooks.com

Ohio

ELIZABETH’S BOOKSHOP AND WRITING CENTRE: A Black and LGBTQ-owned literacy center located in Akron, Ohio, designed to amplify and celebrate marginalized voices; founded by Rachel E. Cargle. ElizabethsOfAkronShop.com

KICKS MIX BOOKSTORE: An LGBTQ-owned bookstore in Newark, Ohio, featuring new releases, secondhand bargains, author events and more; owned by Diana Spain. KicksMixBookstore.com

SHELF LIFE BOOKSTORE: A Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based LGBTQ-owned thrift bookstore focused on childhood literacy and making reading accessible and affordable; owned by Danielle Sawat. ShelfLifeBookstore.com

Oregon

SPOKE AND WORD: A queer-owned independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon that exists to nurture and grow community through shared stories; owned by Cierra Cook. SpokeAndWordsBooks.com

Pennsylvania

BIG BLUE MARBLE BOOKSTORE: An LGBTQ-owned bookstore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, specializing in diverse titles for a diverse community; founded by former high school English teacher Sheila Avelin. BigBlueMarbleBooks.com

Texas

THE BOOK BURROW: An LGBTQ-owned indie bookstore in Pflugerville, Texas, featuring new and pre-loved titles, silent book clubs and more; owned by Kelsey Black. TheBookBurrowBookstore.com

BOOKWOMAN: An Austin, Texas-based queer-owned feminist indie bookstore prioritizing books by and about women, plus merchandise and special events; owned by Susan Post. EBookWoman.com

REVERIE BOOKS: An Austin, Texas-based LGBTQ-owned new and used bookstore dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices and empowering youth; owned by Thais Perkins. ReverieBooks.com

Utah

THE LEGENDARIUM: A queer-owned science fiction, fantasy and horror bookstore and role-playing game cafe in Salt Lake City, Utah; owned by self-proclaimed nerdy siblings Raelle and Steph Blatter. LegendariumBooks.com

UNDER THE UMBRELLA BOOKSTORE: A queer-owned Salt Lake City, Utah bookstore celebrating queer books and authors in a safe, sober and accessible space; founded by Kaitlin Mahoney. UnderTheUmbrellaBookstore.com

Virginia

ELEANOR’S NORFOLK: An LGBTQ-owned intersectional feminist bookstore and bottle shop in Norfolk, Virginia on a mission to spark change; owned by Erin Dougherty. EleanorsNfk.com

Washington

MAIN STREET BOOKS: An LGBTQ-owned shop featuring used books along with popular and recommended new books in Monroe, Snohomish County, Washington; owned by Emily Newman. MainStBooksMonroe.com

PARABLE: A LGBTQ+ and Black woman-owned bookstore and community space in the McKinley Hill area of Tacoma, Washington; owned by sisters and cousins Le’Ecia Farmer, LaKecia Farmer and Deatria Williams. ParableTacoma.com

Wisconsin

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN: An LGBTQ-owned feminist bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin offering current and classic fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, local interest titles, gifts and more; owned by Gretchen Treu. RoomOfOnesOwn.com

RIVER DOG BOOK CO.: An Oconomowoc, Wisconsin-based queer-owned indie bookstore on a mission to create community and foster cross-cultural communication and understanding through literature and literacy-related events; founded by BrocheAroe Fabian. RiverDogBookCo.com

Photo: Rachel Cargle

About the Author

Chris Olsen is a book designer, publisher, educator and the author of “Whyography: Building a Brand Fueled by Purpose.” The founder of Publish Her and Publish Her Story, Chris has helped thousands of women tell their stories and publish their books.

About Publish Her

Publish Her is a female-founded publisher dedicated to educating authors and elevating the words, writing and stories of women. We are passionate about amplifying the voices of women of color, women with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We aim to make publishing an attainable, exciting and collaborative process for all.