 |
|
| via | |
Proud Bookstore, Rehoboth Beach, Del., "one of the last remaining LGBT bookstores in the U.S.," according to the Washington Blade, is closing on Monday, April 17. Owner Jocques LeClair said he is moving back to his hometown of Gettysburg, Pa., to be near his children and grandchildren.
A manager of the Lambda Rising bookstore in Rehoboth Beach, LeClair founded Proud Books in 2010, shortly after Lambda Rising closed. Proud Bookstore "helped a lot of questioning youth and helped their parents understand more about LGBT issues," LeClair said. "Proud provided a safe haven for young LGBT people."
LeClair had hoped to sell the business but believed that "despite Rehoboth Beach being a destination for LGBT individuals the need for specific LGBT venues has diminished."
Local author Fay Jacobs, who said the store "has been so important to residents and visitors, not to mention their support for me and other local writers," speculated that that Browseabout Books, which has hosted book signings for LGBT authors for years, would increase its offerings of LGBT books.