in 1973 order online or in store volunteer today the oldest & very best gay & lesbian bookstore in the countrywe pride ourselves on being a unique and friendly neighbourhood store that has something for everyone while we continue to be your 1 source for new and lightly used lgbtq fiction & non fiction we have expanded our selection to include music artwork comics grussvom krampus clothing and much much more giovanni s room was founded in 1973 . paralleling the growth of philadelphia s out community and the expansion of publishing in its subject areas the store has doubled three times from its beginning on south street to its present two buildings one a double trinity from the 1820s the other a mom and pop store & house from the 1880s on the corner of south 12th and pine streets . giovanni s room is the traditional place from which to begin your visit to gay and lesbian philadelphia . its comfortable atmosphere in the middle of center city its maps guides and free advice anticipate a traveler s needs . you are sure to see books you have never seen before too . giovanni s room is special to philadelphia and a comfortable place to start your visit to this beautiful old city . with 7 000 titles on the shelves and a data base of more than 48 000 titles in our specialties giovanni s room stocks thousands more lesbian and gay books than the biggest superstore . the store s window displays create a street presence for lgbters that s rare in any city . crossing the store s threshold has had an extraordinary symbolic significance for hundreds perhaps thousands of people coming out . once inside those people are greeted by an experienced knowledgeable and particularly friendly staff . similarly the store has special benefit for out of town visitors people interested in the full range of gay and lesbian literature . more gay and lesbian lovers have met at giovanni s room than at any other area store . if you can get a staff member of the store to kiss you then you will be in the direct succession of walt whitman s kiss which flows from walt to edward carpenter to e.m. forster to allen ginsberg to bern boyle one of the founders of giovanni s room . after 41 years of serving the lgbt community in philadelphia the store closed on may 17 2014 . soon after it was announced that philly aids thrift signed a two year agreement to become the proprietor of giovanni s room . the new venture which is called phillyaidsthrift giovanni s room will continue to sell lgbtq books both new and used as well as clothing bric a brac housewares and art . contact us philly aids thrift giovanni s room 345 s. 12th street philadelphia pa 19107 215 923 2960 giovannis room verizon.net hours monday thursday 11 00 am 8 00 pm friday saturday 11 00 am 9 00 pm sunday 11 00 am 7 00 pm follow us