PHILADELPHIA: Nation's Oldest LGBT Bookstore, Giovanni's Room, Is For Sale

Philadelphia's Giovanni's Room, the nation's oldest LGBT bookstore, is for sale.

Ed Hermance, 73, has owned the independently run LGBT bookstore, nestled on the corner of Pine and 12th streets, since 1976. The Powelton resident plans to step down this winter and is exploring options for keeping the business running under a new owner, but will have to sell to a different buyer if there is not sufficient support for continuing Giovanni’s Room. “I know it’s possible for independent bookstores to thrive in the current environment. I don’t know if someone has the resources and the passion to continue the store,” he said. “If someone wanted to rent the space for a different kind of bookstore and no one wanted to continue Giovanni’s Room, I’d be pleased to rent it to them, thinking that it would be in their interest to help all the people who have depended on us.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Ed)