COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new book store is making its way to downtown Columbia, and it's the first of its kind in South Carolina. It's called Queer Haven Books, and it aims a welcoming space for the LGBTQ community and its allies.
The store will be opening at the Arcade Mall at 1332 Main Street. It's a store that Baker Rodgers, the owner, hopes will pave a way for queer establishments in the state of South Carolina.
"We wanted it to also be a place of gathering, not just a place to shop," Rodgers said.
It was always a dream of Rodgers to open a space dedicated to acceptance and community. "I really wanted to open a gay bar," she said.
But after receiving her PhD in sociology, Rodgers found a bookstore may be a better idea.
"My research is all in gender and sexuality in the Southeast," she said. "I also know that LGBT people have higher incidences of substance abuse and things because of the pressures and stigmas."
The bookstore, in Rodgers' eyes, is a space without those pressures and stigmas.
"We build these communities at events and stuff, we talk to people and have some interaction online, but being able to sit down and share space with people," she said.
Since coming up with the idea, Rodgers said the Columbia community has for the most part been supportive
"We've had a little pushback when we publish ads on Facebook, but those are just trolls on the internet," Rodgers said. "We haven't had anyone say anything to us in person and we have had complete support from the community."
Rodgers is making a deliberate effort to support and sell other queer artists too.
"Over time [we're going to] make it more local and more queer, and we are going to get in some queer artists work on the walls for sale, and probably do a couple art shows and things like that," Rodgers said. "It's such a niche store… we will see how it goes!
The book store will have its grand opening this Sunday April 7th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.