The original spirit of Glad Day still persists today, so much so that it is quite literally owned by the community. “I was overwhelmed at the amount, and then that also comes with a little anger and resentment because well, all these books are here, why did no one tell me? It was a mix of excitement and anger your own history being denied to you.” “My memory is that I was just astonished at the sheer number of books that had been written by and about gay, lesbian, bi, and trans people,” Erickson says. Co-owner Michael Erickson still remembers his first visit, when he first realized a representation he didn’t know was missing. At 51 years old, it is the longest-running queer bookstore in the world, a trajectory that parallels Canada’s gay liberation movement itself. In Toronto, Glad Day Bookshop is all of the above and more. This is especially true in the queer community, where bookstores can function as safe spaces for activism and socializing-a place to check the bulletin board for a new roommate, a place to discover new topics and recommendations, a place to hold union meetings and even drag brunches.

Sometimes a bookstore is more than just a bookstore.