Walking south on 12th St. in Philadelphia, people can see that the gay and lesbian community has made its presence known. At 345 South 12th St., there has been a bookstore for the LGBTQ since 1973 called Giovanni’s.
Giovanni’s is a bookstore for the gay and lesbian community, but also for the non-gay community as well. The store carries magazines, novels, movies and even children’s books. There is a variety of materials to read from to become educated about the gay and lesbian community.
Even William “Byll” Monahan, junior English major enjoys going to Giovanni’s whenever he is in the city.
“I found out about Giovanni’s bookstore about three years ago when I stumbled into it with a few friends when we were walking back from South St.,” Monahan said.
Cabrini students agree that it is important for the gay and lesbian community to have a bookstore to find want they want.
“Everyone should have a bookstore to find what they want,” Nicole Hearn, senior biology major, said.
“I think that it is perfectly fine for gay and lesbian bookstores to be in operation. Gay and lesbian bookstores have the same freedom as religious and other special interest bookstores do to be in business,” Katrina Hill, senior biology and math major, said.
There are also students part of the Cabrini community who are indifferent about it.
“I’ve worked with gays, I have gay friends. Its never been a big deal for me. The bookstore is like one of those things where I don’t really see the need for it, but I think it’s okay for those who want it,” Joe Cahill, sophmore communication major, said.
Giovanni’s is one of the last surviving gay and lesbian bookstores in the country. The bookstore is there to help others understand the culture of the gay and lesbian community.
Senior employee Paul “Skip” Strickler said, “We want to provide the most accurate information.” Strickler started at Giovanni’s as a volunteer. As time passed on, Strickler became a regular employee.
The bookstore provides information for parents as well. “There are parents that come into the store and we can provide books that every parent needs to know about a gay or lesbian child,” Strickler said.
It is a difficult time when a person comes out and says that they are gay to friends and family members.
“It’s scary as hell,” Strickler said. He remembers when he would walk past Giovanni’s and was hesitant to walk into the bookstore.
“My first time in there I was a bit intimidated,” Monahan said.
According to Strickler, Giovanni’s is a place of comfort as well. There are many gays and lesbians who are afraid to come out and the bookstore provides information to help the unexposed gays and lesbians how to get through their “coming-out” phase.
“They want to come out and they want to know how to do it,” Strickler said. He mentioned that Barnes and Noble probably has the books, but the customers don’t know where to look for the books in their store.
In the past, homosexuality was not accepted by many people. The support that the gay and lesbian community has is tremendous compared to the past years. The non-gay community shows a lot of support for the store as the years have gone by Strickler mentioned.
“Ed [the owner] has so many connections with the mayor, photographers and city council members,” Strickler said.
Giovanni’s recently celebrated it’s 35 anniversary of the store. A party celebrated Giovanni’s success.
Why is Giovanni’s here on South Street of Philadelphia?
“We aren’t therapists, but we are here to help,” Strickler said. “Sometimes it’s talking to somebody. I love when people call and I have them come to the store. It’s personal service.”
“The employees are incredibly friendly. They are not like a Borders or Barnes and Noble where you feel overwhelmed by the Starbucks and long lines. The employees at Giovanni’s are all invested in the LGBT community in some fashion. They are all like allies,” Monahan said.
Customers can rent movies as well that deal with the gay community. Giovanni’s room also has a Web site that anyone can order a wide selection of books from. Giovanni’s has all different types of media such as movies, CDs and books.
“The selections are ‘unique’ to say the least, they can be a bit risqué, but this is the freedom of speech at its finest,” Monahan said.
