The Disappearing Park Slope Barnes & Noble Gay and Lesbian Section
Anyone who claims that Park Slope still has a dominant gay population needn’t look any further than the Park Slope Barnes & Noble. At one time, the retailer had a fullly dedicated section for gay and lesbian literature located in a prominent area inside the store. These days, however, customers looking for LGBTQIA books need to travel downstairs and into a back corner where the selection is placed on a few small shelves.
Just like the neighborhood population, the gays are harder and harder to find.
When I was a younger, the gay and lesbian section of any bookstore was my total salvation. I would always hit it up while looking for books that might teach me something about the gay experience. This was all before I had come out, so in many ways, those books were my first glance into the road ahead. I can't begin to say how much they helped me through my journey.