When Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse moved to the corner of 10th and Piedmont in Midtown Atlanta in 1996, the then three-year-old business was a pioneer. Not only was it one of few bookstores in the country serving the gay and lesbian communities, it was also one of the only viable businesses on the block. It was a bright spot in a dead zone where an auto sales shop and gas station served as neighbors.
Today, the white brick building bordered in blue is a vibrant part of the local LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) communities as both a gathering place for celebrations and protests as well as host to the high-profile authors and celebrities that Outwrite attracts each month. On Monday, owner Philip Rafshoon announced the iconic bookstore would have no choice but to search for a new location.
"Our lease is expiring in a few months and there really is no way that any model we have looked at will allow us to continue in this space," said Rafshoon. "For 15 years we have been a part of helping the neighborhood grow around us and hopefully we will find a location where we can do the same for another community or neighborhood."
Outwrite supporters flooded Rafshoon with phone calls and emails expressing their sadness. Several even sent suggestions for new locations. Though no action has been taken, Rafshoon is confident he will find a new venue.
The bookstore has had much success drawing superstar authors and celebrities such as Maureen McCormick, Pam Grier, RuPaul and Lance Bass. Events were not just attended by members of the LGBT community, Rafshoon said, but by the entire metro Atlanta community. And when it came to supporting issues and events that had impact on the LGBT community, Outwrite was an unparalleled meeting place.
"It is a very visible intersection and it has become a natural gathering place for folks in the LGBT community, specifically when we have had times to really celebrate as a community," said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, an advocacy group supporting Georgia LGBT communities.
In 1998, when the state sodomy law was struck down, everyone headed to Outwrite, said Graham. And more recently, the successes and setbacks of marriage equality have been discussed in front of Outwrite. It has also been a place where people have gathered to draw attention to suspected hate crimes in the area, Graham said. But in some ways, the city has changed.
"Our community is so spread out and we are fully integrated into the full fabric of the entire metro Atlanta area," Graham said. "I don't believe not having Outwrite on that corner means there will no longer be a central gathering place for the community."
But for many residents, the 10th and Piedmont shop will always hold special memories.
"This is my hangout," said Mike Ritter, 46, an illustrator who lives in Virginia Highland. "Tenth and Piedmont, largely because of Outwrite, is the corner of gay and gayer, and that it really nice."
Before moving from Phoenix to Atlanta in 2007, Ritter would visit friends who would drop him on Outwrite's doorstep while they went to work. When he heard there was trouble, he volunteered to design banners for Pride that reflected Outwrite's status as a meeting place. "Philip Rafshoon is a giant in this community and I know if anyone can keep it going he can," Ritter said.
As early as spring, Rafshoon realized the direction in which things were going. "We put out a call for action in late May letting people know we needed them to step up and shop," Rafshoon said. The community responded, upping sales this year by 5 percent to 10 percent, and increasing attendance at book signings and events, but the additional revenue wasn't enough to beat back the dual challenge of high rent and a changing book industry.
The rent, said Rafshoon, would have to come down by half or more for the store to continue in the current location. Over the years, Outwrite staff had explored a variety of solutions, ranging from adding e-readers to the inventory to moving to a non-profit business model, but nothing would have allowed them to meet the current financial challenges, he said.
Rafshoon hopes Outwrite fans will show their support in the next few weeks by coming in to shop the 25 percent off sale.
"I think the store means a lot to the folks in the LGBT community and also to the city of Atlanta at large. Even if you are straight, people look up to this city as being able to support a bookstore of this nature," Rafshoon said. "There are only a handful of cities that have an LGBT bookstore in them. It is something that people do take pride in."
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