| Giovanni's Room Bookstore | |||||||||||||
| Image Upright: | 1.3 | ||||||||||||
| Type: | Bookstore | ||||||||||||
| Location City: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||||||||||||
| Location Country: | United States | ||||||||||||
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Giovanni's Room Bookstore is a gay bookstore in Philadelphia. It has been called the "center of gay Philly".[1] Founded in 1973 in Philadelphia, Giovanni's Room Bookstore was named after James Baldwin's gay novel Giovanni's Room. Philly AIDS Thrift took over the store after the owner retired in 2014 and the store is now called Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni's Room, also known as PAT @ Giovanni's Room.[2] [3] [4]
Giovanni's Room Bookstore was located on the corner of 12th and Pine Street in Philadelphia's gayborhood. The main building was built in 1820, and the second building, which became part of the store several years after the store opened, was built in the 1880s. The store was originally located on South Street and changed locations often in its first few years. It relocated at 345 South 12th Street in 1979.[5]
In 1973 three Gay Activist Alliance (GAA) members, Tom Wilson Weinberg, Dan Sherbo and Bern Boyle, opened Giovanni's Room at 232 South Street.[5] The store was closed shortly afterward due to a homophobic landlord. The store changed hands to lesbian activist Pat Hill in 1974 and then to Ed Hermance and Arleen Oshan in 1976.[5] Hermance and Olshan moved the store first to 1426 Spruce Street and then to its final location on 12th and Pine in 1979.[1] Olshan left the partnership in 1984.
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission unveiled a marker on Sunday, October 15, 2011, to commemorate the location of Giovanni’s Room, as it is the country's first LGBT bookstore still operating.[6] [7]
In April 2014 the store's owner of 38 years, Ed Hermance, announced his retirement plans and closed the store on May 17, 2014.[8] [1] He soon after made an agreement with Philly AIDS Thrift and they reopened the store as its proprietor that fall.