Gay literature: a dilemma

[+ Charlie]

A comment by Rod Hagen in the thread about gay lit brought me back to a question that has bothered me for a long time: should I buy it in a gay bookstore, or in one of the big chains? Gay bookstores offer a special service, and many of them struggle to survive. They also are often in the business out of a sense of mission to the gay community rather than just to make money. Whenever possible, I try to do my book shopping in one of them, to support their efforts.

 

On the other hand, the big stores like Borders now carry many gay or gay-related titles, sometimes in separate sections specifically marked as such, or sometimes simply within broader categories like fiction. I would like to encourage them to do this, because it exposes the general reading public to these choices, and in a sense legitimizes them. I worry that they might reduce or drop these offerings if customers like me don't patronize them.

 

How do others readers here resolve this dilemma?

[Will]

Buy gay. First, independent book stores of all kinds need all the support they can get. Second, Borders and B&N don't need our custom. They have a whole lot of straight, white suburbanites who love to see what the queers are up to.

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

Support

 

>Buy gay.

 

They not only need "our" support but they also support the community, not just G/L bookstores and the G/L community but other bookstores support the entire community. Often, they are a source for information and literature, that you would not find in a chain; these types of bookstores will also carry a broader range of material. For example, you would not find Aaron Lawrence's books on escorting in a Borders or any other books which might not be in current print, current best sellers and the like.

 

I would also suggest, the next time you are in a chain bookstore, that you stop by the manager's office and let them know that you appreciate that they have gay and lesbian titles for sale.

[Guest bollocks]

Geez Will, That is the nastiest-reading post I have ever seen from you. I am kind of surprised to read such stuff from you, since you are quite probably the nicest, most well-intentioned poster on this board.

[larbord]

I just want to start this out by saying that you should buy these books where you feel most comfortable buying them, be it an independant or a chain.

 

I am just writing to say that I have worked for Borders for the past 10 years, before they were considered a chain. I have to say that they are a very gay friendly company to work for. At least 30% of the staff at my store are gay, and I know of a lot of stores with similar percentages. This also holds true for our head office.

 

We recently hosted an event with 4 cast members of Queer as Folk. 5% of the DVD sales on that day was donated to the local gay rights group, the Triangle foundation.

 

While I am the first to admit that chains can have their problems, please don't dismiss them out of hand when it comes to being gay friendly.;-)

[Guest drock56]

From my experience with Borders, they are indeed

gay friendly....However, they are going to survive

with or without gay customers...Gay bookstores

(such as still exist) and independent bookstores

in general won't. Because the extra few dollars

I may save by buying at chains is really only

the price of a cocktail, I just as soon give the

money to an integral, vital part of the community.

 

For people who need to watch their income more

carefully, Borders is a fine choice. For people

who live in areas where there are no gay-friendly

bookstores (or bookstores, period), thank God for

Amazon or Borders who will deliver to your door.

 

davidr

[+ bigjoey]

whenever i travel, i always search out the gay bookstores and buy what i can there. they are often cultural centers for our community. it is important to support them as the general public will not and without us, they will close. i especially like crossroads in dallas(in the heart of conservative bible belt texas) and out write in atlanta. when in LA i visit a different light but miss their new york store very much.

[Matt_Vancouver]

Buy gay?

 

Typically I buy my books in airport book shops: )

 

Don't support a business just becuase it is gay, support businesses because they offer good products and services.

Yes the arguement can be made that 'gay owned businesses support 'our' community', but is that enough? If they don't offer a decent product, at a fair price, I'm not going to support them just because they identify themselves as 'gay'.

matt(friendly service, decent prices)

[Rod Hagen]

RE: Buy gay?

 

> If they don't

>offer a decent product, at a fair price, I'm not going to

 

Matt, I respectfully disagree on the fair price aspect. Big companies can afford to undercut small, straight or gay, businesses. That's capitalism, sure. And that's great for folks in financial straights. However, since you aren't a single Working-Mom right out of "Nickeled And Dimed", you'd demonstrate better judgement by spending the extra little money for the SAME QUALITY product at a Gay Owned And Operated establishment. It supports homosexuals, and a few bucks more is no skin off your ass. You get the product you want, and you help your queer bretheren, so I do believe that's the homo-moral thing to do.

 

What I despise is worthless bars, restaraunts, and nick nack T-shirt shops, in the middle of Chelsea, South Beach, or WeHo, that slap rainbow flag stickers on the window. That's shameless. Does a restaurant really need to encourage gay consumers to shop or eat there? It's already in the middle of gay ghetto, so it feels like pandering.

 

"Having these balls makes

me feel something close to

joy, I think. I must caress

them." -FRIEZA

-Hagen

[duke37]

RE: Buy gay?

 

As a small business man who has to cater to a very "niche" market I have to give a big thumbs up to Rod's thoughts. Its very easy for "SuperBox" to beat us small retailers on price. And most big companies can train their underpaid people to be basically able to deal with the public. But if thats all you expect from them than thats all you will get.

 

Let me propose something else. Wouldn't being able to go into a store where they actually know and understand what they are selling mean something to you? Where they can answer questions and give good answers. A place where the help is not going to roll their eyes at whatever you want to buy?

 

For me that means a lot. I don't have access to a gay owned bookseller in my town. So the only alternatives are buying a book in a Barnes and Noble and buying from whatever they have available or order what I want online. I would love to have regular access to a gay specialty bookseller. Like others have said most independent book retailers have had a hard time competing with the big boxes. Big volume means big discounts and cheaper prices. And cheaper prices are good. But for me its more valuable to have access to the knowledge of people who know the material than the few dollars I will save at the big guys.

 

I didn't mention the support for the community independent retailers usually provide. I don't have personal knowledge of that but the idea sounds worth supporting as well.

 

Jeff

[Rod Hagen]

RE: Buy gay?

 

Jeff, you don't need to go to Borders or order off Amazon.com to purchase gay books in a city without a Gay Bookstore. You obviously have internet access :-) and there are several online GAY booksellers. I'm not going to post the links, but perhaps someone else will, or you could simply google it. Off the top of my head, Alyson sells them online, I think, but there are many other gay companies selling gay books online. Same, probably, goes for other products. You just need to do your research. Happy reading.

RH

[duke37]

RE: Buy gay?

 

Rod,

 

I actually did know of the companies you mentioned. But my (somewhat muddled) point was without seeing whats available I would be unlikely to find out whats worth reading or not. Most of the time I wouldn't even know the book existed. Actually this site has helped in that regard. I mostly read genre fiction that is relevant to what I do so I don't get a lot of time to research what's out there in gay interest books.

 

I believe there is even a Gay Book of the Month Club. Anbody belong to it?

 

Jeff

 

Oh yeah when are we getting together to commiserate over the Buffy TVS shows upcoming conclusion. OF course we have Angel to console us.