Outwrite Celebrates a Decade of Bookselling and Service to the Community

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Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse in Atlanta.

There's the American dream, where you work hard, scale the corporate ladder, and make your bundle. Then there's that other, sexier fantasy of ditching it all for a labor of love. Philip Rafshoon, the primary owner of Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse, tried both and fortunately for the city of Atlanta, labor of love won the day. Rafshoon, who had been working in computer sales, realized that Atlanta was the largest U.S. city without a gay and lesbian bookstore, and with no bookselling experience, he left the corporate life and opened Outwrite. On November 8, the bookstore will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a party that will include author events, a DJ, and free food and drinks.

Gay and lesbian bookstores have more competition than in the past when the Internet wasn't an option and queer literature was harder to find. So, like other booksellers, Rafshoon had to find ways, besides the full-sized disco ball hanging in the café and the primary colored furnishings, to make his store stand out. "When we opened there was a [nearby] superstore, and we knew there were other places to buy gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered lit," said Rafshoon. "So we just developed a strong commitment to giving the best books, movies, cards, gifts, and music. Outwrite doesn't just offer a gay and lesbian shelf. We've got a wide variety of products and a great place to hang out."

And like other independent bookstores, many gay and lesbian bookstores serve as community centers because, of course, the staff is committed to offering these resources, but also because creating a community center further differentiates them from superstores. The 3,000-square-foot Outwrite often hosts queer author readings, sponsors GLBT functions, among them Atlanta's Gay Pride, and coordinates events with other GLBT organizations, including AIDS Atlanta, and Youth Pride, an outreach program for GLBT youth. On November 4, Outwrite is coordinating an author reading with Youth Pride at which Trebor Healy will read from his Through It Came Bright Colors (Southern Tier Editions/Harrington Park Press).

Outwrite often works as something of an extension of Youth Pride, which among other services, provides a gathering place for gay and lesbian youth. "Outwrite occupies an important and beloved role in the community," said Edward Gray, executive director of Youth Pride. "It really serves as an informal meeting place for gay youth. [They] often don't spend any money there, but the bookstore lets them hang out. Other commercial places aren't so welcoming. Outwrite welcomes them and gives them a safe space to be."

Outwrite is an inviting community hangout.

Gray also mentioned that Outwrite is a community hangout for everyone, not just the gay community. "As Midtown becomes more straight, though it's still very gay, more families are moving in and it's not uncommon to see couples with kids [in the store]." Rafshoon echoed this and said though he initially saw the bookstore as being primarily a place for the gay community, it's really become a place for "gay, straight, black, white," anyone who's interested in stopping at the coffeehouse or "finding a fun, hip mix" of books and sidelines, which Rafshoon recently expanded to include more music and DVDs.

Rafshoon mentioned that shopping at independent businesses was becoming more important to his customers, and he cited the recent study conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) and Friends of Midcoast Maine, which concluded that three times as much money stays in the local economy when consumers buy goods and services from locally owned businesses compared with chain stores. (To read more about this study click here.)

"I might add," said Rafshoon, "We've don't ask people to shop here simply because we're gay and lesbian owned, but because of the service they get, the selection of books and music we offer, and the quality of our coffee. Add that to increased customer interest in supporting independent stores and it will take us far into the future." --Karen Schechner