A Queer Little Bookstore – The Indiegogo Evaluate

Joyful Satisfaction Month! This June we’re excited to function Underneath the Umbrella, an Indiegogo marketing campaign to carry a queer bookstore to Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah. 

Salt Lake Metropolis is without doubt one of the ten queerest cities in America, however the metropolis is missing in protected areas for queer folks of all ages. Kaitlyn Mahoney, the proprietor and founding father of Underneath the Umbrella, is opening their bookstore to present queer youth an area the place they’ll really feel protected and validated.  In line with the 2019 GLSEN College Local weather Research, solely 16% of LGBTQ+ college students in Utah had been taught constructive representations of LGBTQ folks, historical past, or occasions. The LGBTQ+ group deserves to have its tales informed, shared, celebrated, and liked. And that’s precisely what Underneath the Umbrella, a queer little bookstore, will do. 

During the last 14 years, Kaitlyn has actively been concerned within the bookseller trade in Utah: they’re a member of the American Booksellers Affiliation and the Mountain and Plains Impartial Booksellers Affiliation, in addition to the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, Nationwide LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. 

Their unimaginable crowdfunding marketing campaign has raised over $55,000 to carry a queer bookstore to Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah and to spotlight tales by and about individuals who have historically been excluded from publishing and mainstream media. You possibly can nonetheless contribute to the InDemand marketing campaign and get a ton of nice perks for donating. 

Keep tuned for Kaitlyn’s e book suggestions and browse a Q+A about her work as a bookseller. 

Prime 5 LGBTQ+ e book suggestions for a very good summer time learn

Honey Woman by Morgan Rogers

Together with her newly accomplished PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a women’ journey to Vegas to have a good time. She’s a straight A, work-through-the-summer licensed excessive achiever. She isn’t the form of one that goes to Vegas and will get drunkenly married to a girl whose identify she doesn’t know…till she does precisely that. When actuality comes crashing in, Grace should face what she’s been working from all alongside—the fears that make us human, the household scars that must heal and the eager for connection, particularly when navigating the messiness of maturity.

Love After the Finish, edited by Joshua Whitehead

This new younger grownup anthology edited by Joshua Whitehead (Lambda Literary Award winner, Jonny Appleseed) options brief tales by Indigenous authors with Two-Spirit & Queer heroes, in utopian and dystopian settings. This can be a sequel to the favored anthology Love Past Physique Area and Time (2019 AILA Youth Honor Guide), and options a number of of the identical authors returning, together with new voices!

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

It’s laborious sufficient making an attempt to speak along with your mother and father as a child, however for Tiến, he doesn’t even have the proper phrases as a result of his mother and father are combating their English. Is there a Vietnamese phrase for what he’s going by? Is there a strategy to inform them he’s homosexual? A fantastically illustrated story by Trung Le Nguyen that follows a younger boy as he tries to navigate life by fairytales.

Queer Love in Shade by Jamal Jordan

Queer Love In Shade is a singular, transferring assortment of images and tales of queer {couples} and households of shade from throughout the USA and world wide. Inclusive of all gender identities, races, and ages, this fantastically packaged e book gives an intimate have a look at what it means to stay on the intersections of queer and POC identities at this time, and broadens how we see affection, love, and household. 

Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis

In 1977 Uruguay, a navy authorities crushed political dissent with ruthless pressure. On this setting, the place the on a regular basis rights of persons are below assault, homosexuality is a harmful transgression to be punished. And but Romina, Flaca, Anita “La Venus,” Paz, and Malena–5 cantoras, ladies who “sing”–someway, miraculously, discover each other. Collectively, they uncover an remoted, practically uninhabited cape, Cabo Polonio, which they declare as their secret sanctuary.

Unique interview with Kaitlyn

Now that you simply’ve gotten Kaitlyn’s e book suggestions, study extra about Kaitlyn in our unique Q&A with them under!

INDIEGOGO: Why and the way did you turn out to be an entrepreneur? Was proudly owning a bookstore one thing you all the time supposed for your self? 

As I began studying extra queer narratives, I noticed how tough it could possibly be to seek out them in conventional bookstores. And I knew that if it was tough for somebody like me who’s particularly looking for them out, it should be even much less seemingly that others are going to seek out them. Queer books had a big impact on my life, and that’s what finally led me to creating Underneath the Umbrella. 

Proudly owning a bookstore is a enterprise, in fact, and I take that very critically–however I don’t actually take into account myself an entrepreneur. I’m a group member who observed a necessity and had the sources to assist fill it!

INDIEGOGO: What makes your Indiegogo undertaking distinctive?

KAITLYN: It positively seems like my entire life has been main me up thus far. I’ve all the time been an avid reader, and books had been a giant a part of how I found — and proceed to find! — my very own queerness. Illustration makes an enormous distinction not just for these being represented, however for these being uncovered to range as nicely. In line with GayPages.com, 79% of non-LGBTQ folks uncovered to queer folks within the media are extra comfy having a brand new queer household with kids transfer into their neighborhood, and 45% had been extra accepting of bisexual folks. 

As I began studying extra queer narratives, I noticed how tough it could possibly be to seek out them in conventional bookstores. And I knew that if it was tough for somebody like me who’s particularly looking for them out, it should be even much less seemingly that others are going to seek out them. Queer books had a big impact on my life, and that’s what finally led me to creating Underneath the Umbrella. 

Proudly owning a bookstore is a enterprise, in fact, and I take that very critically–however I don’t actually take into account myself an entrepreneur. I’m a group member who observed a necessity and had the sources to assist fill it!

INDIEGOGO: What have you ever realized about your group throughout your crowdfunding marketing campaign?

KAITLYN: So many individuals reached out to specific how a lot an area like this could have meant to them once they had been youthful and the way excited they’re to see it turn out to be an area now. Strangers have donated their favourite queer books, despatched me lists of books to inventory within the retailer, given monetary and different materials assist, and have supplied to assist arrange the bookstore or in any other case volunteer to ensure the area succeeds. There have been additionally lots of people who did their very own crowdfunding exterior of the Indiegogo to assemble much more assist for the shop. Underneath the Umbrella is totally a group effort to create and curate a protected area collectively.

Wish to assist the marketing campaign for Underneath the Umbrella bookstore? Take a look at the marketing campaign web page at this time! Perks embody signed books by Sarah Gailey, Maria Mora, Shaun Hutchinson, in addition to advance reader copies of recent releases and extra.

Help the marketing campaign for Underneath the Umbrella right here.