Giovannni's Room, Philadelphia

Giovanni's Room in Philadelphia is the third sober queer space I am including in this exhibition. This is the oldest gay bookstore in America as well as the center of gay Philly. Giovanni's Room was founded in 1973 and was re-launched under the new ownership of Philly AIDS Thrift in 2014 after the previous owner retired. This bookstore is a center of refuge for the gay community in Philadelphia and was a hub of social justice since its inception. Now that it is owned by Philly AIDS Thrift, the store remains active and actually helps to increase the monthly donations that Philly AIDS gives to the AIDS Fund each month.