Queer Haven Books hosted a grand opening celebration last Sunday in the Arcade Mall at 1332 Main St., Columbia, S.C. WLTX reported that the bookstore aims to be "a welcoming space for the LGBTQ community and its allies.... It's a store that owner Baker Rogers hopes will pave a way for queer establishments in the state of South Carolina."
"We wanted it to also be a place of gathering, not just a place to shop," said Rogers, who had dreamed of opening a space dedicated to acceptance and community. "I really wanted to open a gay bar," they added. After earning a PhD in sociology they decided a bookstore might be a better idea: "My research is all in gender and sexuality in the Southeast. I also know that LGBT people have higher incidences of substance abuse and things because of the pressures and stigmas."
The bookstore is meant to be a space without those pressures and stigmas. "We build these communities at events and stuff, we talk to people and have some interaction online, but being able to sit down and share space with people," they said.
The Columbia community has for the most part been supportive. "We've had a little pushback when we publish ads on Facebook, but those are just trolls on the Internet," Rogers said. "We haven't had anyone say anything to us in person and we have had complete support from the community."
As the bookshop develops, they plan to "make it more local and more queer, and we are going to get in some queer artists work on the walls for sale, and probably do a couple art shows and things like that. It's such a niche store... we will see how it goes."
After the grand opening, Queer Haven Books posted on Facebook: "Wow!!! The word incredible is not adequate to describe today! We met so many beautiful people and felt so much love! Thank you to everyone who came out to see us! We can't wait to see you again!"