| Sigrid Nielsen | |
| Birth Date: | March 1948 |
| Nationality: | American |
Sigrid Catherine Nielsen (born March 1948) is best known as the co-founder and co-owner of Scotland's first gay bookshop, Lavender Menace Bookshop.
Sigrid grew up in America, before settling in Scotland.[1] Once in Scotland, she assisted Sylvia Neri in managing a Scottish Minorities Group (SMG) (now Outright Scotland) Women's Group, in 1975–1976. However, Neri noted that Sigrid could only do it for a short time, as she had so many commitments.[2]
Sigrid teamed up with business partner Bob Orr to run a bookstall at the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group (SHRG) on Broughton Street in 1976, Edinburgh. Trading initially under the name Lavender Books, they named the bookstall Open Gaze.[3]
This eventually became what is now known as the Lavender Menace Bookshop.
Sigrid went on to co-edit a book with Gail Chester, In Other Words Writing as a Feminist, in 1987. This radical feminist perspective of women’s publishing brings attention to the significance of writing for women's liberation.[4]
At this time Sigrid contributed to LGBTQ+ newspaper, The Pink Paper, including a column entitled: Fortune, fame and the feminist (1988).[5]