Glad Day Bookshop
Encyclopedia
Glad Day Bookshop is an independent bookstore in Toronto
, Ontario
, specializing in LGBT
literature. The store is located at 598A Yonge Street
near the city's Church and Wellesley
neighbourhood.
community. The bookstore originally operated out of Moldenhauer's apartment in The Annex, which also served as the original offices of The Body Politic. Moldenhauer later moved to a house in Kensington Market
, where the bookstore and magazine operated out of a shed in his backyard. The store moved to its current location in 1981.
In 1979, Moldenhauer opened a second location in Boston. A fire destroyed the Boston building in 1982, but the store reopened in a different location a few weeks later.
Moldenhauer sold the Toronto location to John Scythes in 1991, but retained ownership of the Boston store and continued to be involved in the Toronto store's operations. After the Boston store's landlord decided to convert the building into condominium
s, Moldenhauer closed the store in 2000 when he and manager John Mitzel faced difficulty finding a suitable new location.
The Toronto location remains open, and is currently managed by Prodan Nedev. Since the closure of New York City
's Oscar Wilde Bookshop
in early 2009, Glad Day is now the oldest surviving LGBT bookstore in North America.
From 1998 to early 2005, the science fiction bookstore Bakka-Phoenix
was located on the main floor of the same building as Glad Day's Toronto store.
at the University of Western Ontario
.
Like its counterpart in Vancouver
, Little Sister's
, Glad Day's materials have been frequently confiscated by Canada Customs during importation as "obscene materials".
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, specializing in LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
literature. The store is located at 598A Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
near the city's Church and Wellesley
Church and Wellesley
Church and Wellesley is an LGBT-oriented community located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is roughly bounded by Gerrard Street to the south, Yonge Street to the west, Charles Street to the north, and Jarvis Street to the east, with the core commercial strip located along Church Street from...
neighbourhood.
History
Opened in 1970 by Jearld Moldenhauer, it was the city's and Canada's first bookstore targeted to the gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
community. The bookstore originally operated out of Moldenhauer's apartment in The Annex, which also served as the original offices of The Body Politic. Moldenhauer later moved to a house in Kensington Market
Kensington Market
Kensington Market is a distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Market is an older neighbourhood and one of the city's most well-known. In November 2006, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Robert Fulford wrote in 1999 that "Kensington...
, where the bookstore and magazine operated out of a shed in his backyard. The store moved to its current location in 1981.
In 1979, Moldenhauer opened a second location in Boston. A fire destroyed the Boston building in 1982, but the store reopened in a different location a few weeks later.
Moldenhauer sold the Toronto location to John Scythes in 1991, but retained ownership of the Boston store and continued to be involved in the Toronto store's operations. After the Boston store's landlord decided to convert the building into condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s, Moldenhauer closed the store in 2000 when he and manager John Mitzel faced difficulty finding a suitable new location.
The Toronto location remains open, and is currently managed by Prodan Nedev. Since the closure of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Oscar Wilde Bookshop
Oscar Wilde Bookshop
The Oscar Wilde Bookshop was the first bookstore devoted to gay and lesbian authors. It was founded by Craig Rodwell in 1967 as the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop. Initially located at 291 Mercer Street, it moved in 1973 to Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, New York, United States...
in early 2009, Glad Day is now the oldest surviving LGBT bookstore in North America.
From 1998 to early 2005, the science fiction bookstore Bakka-Phoenix
Bakka-Phoenix
Bakka-Phoenix Science Fiction Bookstore is a small independent bookstore in Toronto, Ontario, which specializes in science fiction and fantasy literature....
was located on the main floor of the same building as Glad Day's Toronto store.
Social involvement
The business frequently donates books to organizations such as the Pride LibraryPride Library
The Pride Library is a collection of books, periodicals, and audio-visual resources by and about gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, and other queer folk. Located in the D.B. Weldon Library at The University of Western Ontario, the Pride Library is the first official queer resource center at a...
at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
.
Like its counterpart in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Little Sister's
Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium
Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium, also known as Little Sister's Bookstore, but usually called "Little Sister's," is an independent bookstore in the Davie Village / West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a predominantly gay community...
, Glad Day's materials have been frequently confiscated by Canada Customs during importation as "obscene materials".