The Bureau of General Services--Queer Division "isn't necessarily easy to find, but it's worth seeking out," amNewYork reported in showcasing the bookshop located on the second floor of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in Greenwich Village. BGSQD "welcomes in guests with bubble gum pink walls, a soundtrack of '80s pop music and a diverse selection of LGBTQ-affirming titles, strewed throughout unfinished plywood shelves."
Greg Newton and his partner Donnie Jochum opened the volunteer-run, nonprofit BGSQD in 2012 after the pair realized that Manhattan no longer had a queer bookstore. "That's embarrassing," Newton said. "For New York City. For us and so many queer people, it's a mecca. You come here because you're queer. There's queer life that's visible and active and proud and healthy."
"Is it of interest to queer people?" is Newton's primary criterion for stocking the variety of titles by LGBTQ+ authors and books covering queer themes. He also noted: "We're thrilled that the Center, donors and volunteers have allowed us to survive. We couldn't do it without them."
Newton would love to pass on the bookstore at some point to carry on the tradition, "but he'd also be thrilled if someone was inspired by his project and opened their own rendition," amNewYork wrote. "The store hasn't changed much since it first opened, opting for unfinished wood and cardboard to display books, not only because it's inexpensive, but because Newton believes it's transparent and potentially inspirational."
"This is how it works, you can do it too," Newton said. "Get some plywood and some books. You can make it happen."