Under the Umbrella, a "queer little bookstore" that debuted as a pop-up bookshop last year, opened a physical storefront in Salt Lake City, Utah, in November, the Daily Utah Chronicle reported. The store specializes in books by queer authors and featuring queer characters, and owner Kaitlyn Mahoney opened the bookstore with the help of an Indiegogo campaign that raised more than $57,000.
In addition to new and used books, Under the Umbrella carries pins, paintings, candles and art prints, much of it sourced from queer artists and creators both in the Salt Lake City area and beyond. It also is a source of community resources like naloxone kits and fentanyl test strips, a free closet of gender-affirming clothes and a Little Free Library. The store also runs a penpal program with incarcerated people.
"I decided to create a space that, when I was younger, how wonderful it would have been to have access to this," Mahoney told the Chronicle. "My hope is that a space like this can help people feel comfortable with where they are currently and where they're going."
Mahoney has tried to emphasize mutual aid within the bookstore and started a "Give and Take" wall, where anyone "can pledge something for a specific identity," like a "book for a Latinx person or a sticker for a caffeinated bisexual." A person who identifies with that pledge can then claim it for free.
Mahoney explained that the bookstore grew out of a desire to see more books by queer authors and with queer representation. "I should be able to find these stories all the time--not have to wait for the pride displays or the two shelves at Barnes & Noble. I kept thinking, 'Somebody is gonna do this. Then I started thinking, 'I'm gonna do it.' "