As PW reported last month, Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia will reopen with a new owner. And now the owner has been revealed on the bookstore's Facebook page, along with a new store name that looks to the future while honoring the country’s oldest LGBT bookstore: Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room.
The store, which is expected to open in September, will combine Giovanni’s Room's offerings of new and used books and its commitment to author events and providing space for LBGT organizations, with Philly AIDS Thrift’s know-how selling gay, hipster, and pop-culture bargain items to raise money for AIDS organizations. The nonprofit thrift store currently contributes $20,000 a month to AIDS groups in the Philadelphia area. The new outpost will also donate to local AIDS service organizations.
"For many of us, Giovanni's Room represented the heart of the community, and we are thrilled to be able to celebrate and carry on its legacy with this exciting new project," said Kiran Matson, president of the board of Philly AIDS Thrift.
Over the coming weeks, Philly AIDS Thrift plans to renovate the store to give it a more boutique feel. A grand re-opening of the store is slated for later this fall during OutFest weekend (Oct. 10-12). Philly AIDS Thrift plans to maintain Giovanni’s Room’s website at queerbooks.com.
