“Just to shop peacefully or find specific items that identify with them, with who they are as a person and their authenticity.” “There’s a huge community here of people wanting to connect and have different safe havens,” said Urbano, who’s gay. The 30-year-old Center City resident first stumbled into the shop for the selection of thrifted goods.

Now, just like at Philly AIDS Thrift, all proceeds have been donated to local orgs that fight HIV/AIDS.Īdmittedly, that’s what first brought regular customer Jeffrey Urbano inside. By 2018, Chelak had saved enough to buy the 12th and Pine building. In the first year of operation under Philly AIDS Thrift, Giovanni’s Room made a profit of about $1,000. “But I think that’s what saved this store, because it brought in all kinds of more people.” “When I first came here, I’m going, ‘Wait a minute, this is a bookstore, what’s going on here?’” said Rial, who now works at the store two days a week. Richard Smith, a 41-year volunteer, beyond the counter at Giovanni’s Room Credit: Kimberly Paynter / WHYY “Continuing the legacy of the bookstore was really important to us from the very beginning,” said current manager Alan Chelak, who oversaw the reopening in 2014. The financial outlook at the popular Gayborhood bookstore was so grim the owner said he’d have to close it permanently.Ī few months later, as suddenly as it had disappeared, Giovanni’s Room opened back up. Within a few decades, the experience that meant so much to Rial and the rest of the city’s LGBTQ community was in jeopardy. “You feel like you can be out and open and be talking about issues that you can’t talk about in other places.” It helped her find herself - and eventually come out. There were feminist readings, muscle magazines, and LGBTQ-friendly guides to major cities. But at Giovanni’s Room, there were gay memoirs and lesbian nonfiction works. At home, her parents sent her to a psychiatrist when they suspected her trans identity.

Giovanni's room book