Giovanni’s Room, the nation’s oldest LGBT bookstore, will soon have its place in Philadelphia history marked permanently.
The store was one of 13 sites recently approved for a historical marker from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. The Giovanni’s Room marker is only the second LGBT marker in the state, after the placard designating the Annual Reminder LGBT marches of the 1960s outside of Independence Hall.
The commission reviewed 54 applications for this latest round of markers, making the final decisions at its March 16 meeting.
A coalition of local advocates first submitted an application early last year but just missed the deadline.
Gloria Casarez, the city’s director of LGBT affairs, said contributors worked to make this year’s application, submitted in early January, as full as possible, including scholarly articles that mention the store and letters of support from the Mayor’s Office, the Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus, PGN, Philly Pride Presents and the Washington Square West Civic Association.
Casarez explained the wording on the sign — which will likely be installed in October, LGBT History Month — had to be crafted as if the store were no longer standing, as the markers are meant to signify historical locations in perpetuity.
The proposed language reads: “Founded in 1973 and named after James Baldwin’s second novel, Giovanni’s Room served as bookstore, clearinghouse and meeting place at the onset of the lesbian and gay civil-rights movement, a time when one could be ostracized, arrested or fired for loving someone of the same gender.”
Tom Wilson Weinberg, who founded the store along with Bernie Boyle and Dan Sherbo, said that at its inception, Giovanni’s Room offered not only rare LGBT reading material but also a chance to come together as a community.
“In 1973, it was hard to buy gay books anywhere. There just weren’t many. And the ones that did exist weren’t available in general bookstores,” he said. “And there really weren’t many alternatives for LGBT people to meet and hang out other than at bars. So we wanted to create a space where we could invite people of all ages together. It had a real coffeehouse atmosphere.”
The store was originally located at Second and South streets in a storefront property with a monthly $85 rent, furnished by trash-picked items and with all books displayed with the front covers facing outward, a testament to the minimal number of titles available at the time. Over the years, however, the store survived numerous location changes and owners, and its collection — and iconic place in the community — flourished.
Current owner Ed Hermance came on board in 1976, and Wilson Weinberg said he’s been the driving force behind the store’s growth since that time.
“Ed has been such a devoted bookophile and community member and just a good store manager,” he said. “He’s there all the time, he knows the inventory and he knows and loves his customers. I really think he’s been the key to the store’s success.”
Hermance said the store played a pivotal role in the dissemination of information about HIV/AIDS in the height of the epidemic, and has continued to evolve in its significance to the local community.
In 2009, the community rallied behind the store, raising tens of thousands of dollars for the repair of an exterior wall.
“It’s gratifying that so many people worked so hard to make this come to our front door,” he said of the marker. “It’s great that people are still so interested in the store and want to recognize it.”
Casarez noted the marker will be especially meaningful to the generations of LGBT Philadelphians who’ve seen its growth and progress alongside the development of the local LGBT community.
“For those of us here in the city, we all love Giovanni’s Room anyway, whether or not it’s the oldest LGBT bookstore,” she said. “When Giovanni’s Room opened, it only had about 100 titles, and I think that really shows you what things were like back then. They now carry tens of thousands of titles, and the fact that Giovanni’s Room is still existing and thriving as a community hub, when even big-book sellers like Border’s are closing, is really significant.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].