Giovanni’s Room Historic Marker

345 S. 12th Steet (map)

Founded in South Philadelphia in 1973, Giovanni’s Room is the oldest gay and lesbian bookstore in continuous use in the United States. Borrowing its name from a groundbreaking gay novel by James Baldwin, the bookstore became a cultural hub and social refuge for the LGBTQ community as the modern gay rights movement blossomed. In the 1980s, during the  AIDS crisis, Giovanni’s Room provided safe-sex educational materials at a time when government at all levels offered no information. Philly AIDS Thrift took over the store in 2014.

Additional Information:

Giovanni’s Room - Phila Place

Giovanni’s Room Honored With Historical Marker  - BTW

Giovanni’s Room - Wikipedia