During a trip to Los Angeles in 2023, Reese Steiner and Lauren Branch visited a famous bookstore. The two-story shop with Pinterest-worthy décor was filled floor to ceiling with books, yet the young couple discovered something that was still missing.
An LGBTQ+ section.
Avid readers and bookstore patrons, the couple joked with the bookkeeper about starting their own gay bookstore. But their frustration was real: even the most abundant of book collections in the second-largest city in the U.S. lacked LGBTQ+ representation.
Upon returning home to Columbus, Ohio, the pair got to work building a list of LGBTQ+ books of all genres that would fill the shelves of their nonprofit shop, Little Gay Bookstore. Surprised by the number of titles they came up with having never heard of most of them, their mission to make books with LGBTQ+ representation more accessible took shape. What started as a joke was now evolving into reality.
Branch graduated with a degree in respiratory therapy from Ohio State University in 2022 and continues to work in healthcare as a respiratory therapist. However, the field hasn’t entirely fulfilled her desire to help people in the way she had envisioned. Meanwhile, Steiner, also a recent Ohio State graduate with a degree in English, found in this project a way to channel her literary passion.
Today, the Little Gay Bookstore has a presence both as an online shop and an in-person shop via pop-up shops and appearances at markets. On the bookstore’s social media pages, Steiner and Branch often post book recommendations that emphasize niche and specific categories, such as book recommendations based on your favorite pair of Doc Martens.
Cast of characters
The nonprofit store’s mission has resonated deeply with its customers. The couple regularly receives messages from people grateful for finding a book that speaks to their experiences.
“It’s so heartwarming anytime someone comes into our booth and says ‘Hey, that’s me!’ pointing to an [asexual] book, for example,” Steiner said.
Aiming to represent all identities that are part of the LGBTQ+ community, the shop’s inventory includes asexual, pansexual, bisexual and polyamorous sections, among many others.
While Steiner and Branch contend that books with representation of these particular identities can be found in other bookstores, they said that these books are still not accessible.
“Obviously they have queer books, but they’re spread out,” Steiner said of other shops. “You have to know exactly what you’re looking for. You can’t just browse, and browsing is the best part about going to a bookstore.”
They add that even bookstores with LGBTQ+ sections often stock a limited selection of the same titles—typically nonfiction, history, and self-help books—which they feel falls short of truly satisfying the need for diverse LGBTQ+ representation.
However, the Little Gay Bookstore’s specificity comes with drawbacks, according to Steiner.
“There are a lot of books in our collection that haven’t necessarily sold yet because they are so niche,” she said, adding that as a nonprofit, they prioritize making books with less mainstream representation accessible rather than maximizing profit.
Finding a storefront
Steiner and Branch hope to find a permanent storefront for their shop in the Short North neighborhood of Columbus in the near future. The couple initially had a location on High Street, but safety and permitting issues forced them to abandon the location.
“It’s been a challenge doing markets every weekend,” Branch said. “I work 12-hour shifts, and so I can’t help Reese with some of these markets. And it’s exhausting having to carry everything in her tiny little Subaru Crosstrek. So, we’re ready to stay put somewhere in an actual building.”
Their dream is for the store to also serve as a coffeeshop and community space and allow them to expand their inventory. “We want it to be a sober, safe space where people can hang out and be surrounded by other queer people… We want to be able to host events and bring the community together,” Steiner said.
In the meantime, they’ve decided to focus on building their social media presence and connection within the community. According to Steiner, this has been largely successful—an affirmation that the community needs and wants the Little Gay Bookstore. 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- Visit the Little Gay Bookstore’s online shop here and consider buying all the things.
- Follow Little Gay Bookstore on Instagram here.
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