Toronto’s oldest gay bookstore closing?

Author: Antonio Gonzalez Cerna

June 2, 2010

As we gear up for Gay Pride in the US, Canada’s oldest LGBT bookstore may be on the brink of extincion. According to an article in The Globe and Mail, Glad Day Bookstore in Toronto may be forced to shut it doors after 40 years for many of the same reasons that indie bookshops have shutdown nationwide: little foot traffic, fewer print publications, and increasing online retailing.

To keep the place afloat, employees have started a Facebook support group page called Save Glad Day and are trying to spread the word. They’re trying to draw people in with a few high-profile events including a book signing with Canadian murder mystery author Anthony Bidulka, who writes about a gay detective in Saskatchewan.

Glad Day became the oldest gay bookstore in North America after Oscar Wilde bookstore closed in New York City last year.