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Rural Queer Book Clubs are Crucial Sites of Community and Resistance
Queer book clubs can be a lifeline when right-wing actors try to push queer voices out of the public square.
It was November 9, 2024, and Donald Trump had been elected president for the second time. It was a dark and somber day for customers at the Buzzed Word, an independent bookshop in Ocean City, Maryland. For many queer people in the area, the shop–which sells both books and a number of varieties of wine–was a little haven, a place to find peace in a world that suddenly seemed much more hostile to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“In the days after the election we had an influx of people, mostly queer people, seeking out safe spaces,” Ryann Dwyer, the manager and book buyer for the store, remarked. “It was both heartwarming and devastating as we’re one of the only businesses in the area that openly claim to be a space for queer people.”
Indeed, the Buzzed Word has gone the extra mile when it comes to creating an open and affirming space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to stocking a number of LGBTQ+ books and hosting the Ocean City Pride Parade, the bookshop is also host to a monthly queer romance book club. Yes, you read that right. Every month a group of a dozen or so of us meet to…
