A Different Light going dark

After almost 30 years as the preeminent gay, lesbian and transgendered bookstore in Los Angeles, A Different Light in West Hollywood will be closing its doors. As far back as 2000, manager Brad Craft, above, warned the L.A. Times that the bookstore, which he called "the intellectual focus of our community," was struggling. This week owner Bill Barker, who has no intentions of shuttering the San Francisco store, says there were two circumstances that made things increasingly difficult for the WeHo location.

The first, he told Instinct Magazine yesterday, was a massive construction project on Santa Monica Boulevard that began in 2001. "[The city] came in and ripped all the sidewalks out, and foot traffic and parking disappeared from West Hollywood for a year or 18 months," he said, "and it never came back."

Then in 2007, Mickey's, a bar next door, had a terrible fire. "They closed it down, barricaded the front, and again I saw a dropoff in sales. The bars attract people," Barker said. "They [Mickey’s] were supposed to open last June, and that didn’t happen, and then it went to October before Christmas and that didn’t happen. And now the economy is very, very serious."

Earlier this month, the nation's oldest gay bookstore, the Oscar Wilde Bookshop in New York's Greenwich Village, announced it will close in late March. The closures are bad news for independent bookstores in general and gay bookstores in particular.

But one thing that A Different Light has going for it, in addition to its storefront in the Castro in San Francisco, is a robust online marketplace, where it sells books, DVDs and "adult selections." And you know how the Internet loves "adult selections."

The West Hollywood store will close sometime this spring.

— Carolyn Kellogg

Photo: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Dr. Peter]

Oh! dear god; many, many of us are to lose one of our dearest and most cherished Gay 'icon' institutions as A Different Light closes. Beyond sad....and tears.

[Joe of Hollywood]

This article is only half the story about why Different Light's business has fallen off. The current owner, Mr. Barker, is (at least) the second owner. Ever since the original partners sold the stores in LA, SF, and NYC, the stores have not been the same. They've become more kitschy and long time customers, like myself, found ourselves having to go online to find what we wanted.

[Roman]

I am very sad to hear about the closing of this very important store for our community. I hope that somehow we can rebound as a nation and more importantly as a community.

[Suren]

wow, I am devistated. I did most of my coming out at the store when it was in Silver Lake, at Sunset Junction. The location in WeHo has never attracted me, and I spend more time in Silver Lake than WeHo...however, I do agree with the comment above about the store being more of a gift shop feel than a bookstore, and the construction on Santa Monica did make it less attractive for me to get down there. I, too, am "beyond sad...and tears".

[Jim]

A Different Light stopped being anything close to a community center years ago. I have fond memories of spending hours at the Sunset Junction location, but the store in West Hollywood never felt like a real bookstore. Plus the current owner has no interest in running a bookstore. It's just a business to him. And the bookstore is infamous among authors and vendors for shoddy and rude treatment. It's always sad when a bookstore closes, but ADL was way way past it's prime and rarely had the latest gay and lesbian books unless the books had naked men on their covers. I won't miss the place.

[Floyd]

Richard LaBonte was the great spirit of this place. He loved books and he loved our community. When he went, there wasn't much left.

"And the bookstore is infamous among authors and vendors for shoddy and rude treatment." Amen.

[Jon]

Different Light will be missed by everyone in the West Hollywood community.

[John]

After reading some of the comments, and as an owner of one of the few remaining LGBT bookstores in the US I need to respond. A bookstore is a business and needs to at least break even to survive. People are reading fewer and fewer serious books today, especially the young people, hence the increase in gift items in the stores. Cheaper books on the internet is what is killing all independent bookstores. If you want your bookstores to remain open then shop there. In regards to the type of books, it is increasingly difficult to get LGBT focused books from the suppliers, they buy few and don't keep them in stock for long.

[vince]

My friend Terrance and I have lunch Sundays at cafe d etoile and then walk down to A DIFFERENT LIGHT. The store is going out of business not because of construction but becuse they always have the same old tired merchandise. The organization inside is horrible. The biography table is very light, they have no decorating section, very few magazines other than porno, the place is not very well run. I want to support the GAY businesses in West Hollywood, but I am suprised that store is still open.

[Bill Barker]

I am compelled to comment to those who under a thin veil of anonymous protection seek to make nasty comments regarding the ADL Bookstores -- The bookstores were hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt prior to July 2000, under the auspice of "the great spirit" Richard Labonte. Within only 1-2 weeks of July 1 "2000", the entire chain of ADLBooks was scheduled to close (bankruptsy I believe is the correct term). A private benefactor stepped forward to cover the debt and between us, we have kept the stores open for an additional 9 years to date. The bookstores were not sold, they were rescued (I think that falls under non-fiction). As John stated above, quite diplomatically, the world of gay/lesbian publishing has changed dramatically -- and the loss of small independent bookstores can be a result of the inaction of the communities. Which is a choice that I can respect. For those who comment on vendor/author issues!! Hmmm........suspicious at best!!! There is an opening for a new bookstore in West Hollywood -- go for it!!!!! Show us how it is done!!!! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED THE STORE -- BIG Thanks to Billy and every employee past and present who have worked hard to keep the doors open. San Francisco and the web site I believe still have steam left!!

[vince]

My intent is not make nasty comments about ADL, but to point out that the stores content was old, tired, and had no variety. Since when can't a gay bookstore sell interesting, up to date merchandise that the public wants to buy. Its no different than a restaurant with poor service and horrible food. Stop blaming the environment. That store had more foot traffic than Rodeo Drive down Santa Monica. If I had the time I would love to open a store in the same spot and make a go of it. How many times can a regular customer look at the same 50% off crap Rock Hudson biography, how many times can a regular customer look at the same naked boy books, the same old dvds, get over it. that store failed because the content stunk. If the same people open the same store with the same merchandise in Beverly Hills, it will still fail.

[Terrance M. Coakley]

I was not at all surprised that A Different Light Bookstore is going out of business. What I am surprised at, is that they lasted as long as they did. The gay community has loyalty but only up to a point. The store had nothing to offer. It had nothing but the same tired merchandise year in and year out. I go in there on a fairly regular basis and all I ever walk out with is Frontiers or In Magazine. There were some gay books, but nothing that would have gay appeal. There was nothing to do with decorating, or gardening. Nothing on cooking or fine dining or entertaining. Very little on the "Industry" lore or current goings on. The travel section was limited. No "coffee table" books, save for the vast collection of nude men photograph books. There was no magazine section that had any kind of esoteric publications that would appeal to the gay mindset. The men magazine department rivaled the nude men coffee table department. The political book section had volumes of hate Repubicans/love Democrats; nothing unbiased or prejudiced could be found. Phisically the place was a dump. No interesting displays showcasing new publications, one cornor with a pathetic display of tee shirts, a video section with videos that one could get in a half dozen stores up and down the street, a wretched display of 50% off Christmas cards in Feburary, no pleasant music or captivating video running, and the floor was gross! That couple of blocks where the place is located is EXTERMELY well traveled, and for them to claim that construction was partially to blame for keeping patrons away is rediculous. Perhaps West Hollywood is better of now that that intellectual blight is gone.

[Doug]

I don't know the precise history or reason for the failure but it makes me sad. I had a book published many years ago so I dealt with the Sunset-Junction store, but I always enjoyed visiting the West Hollywood store. I do think the issue of tearing up the sidewalks and the horrible parking situation for all those years is a factor. It certainly got me out of the habit of coming to WeHo. Anyway, a lost icon, no matter what the reason.

[Bent Pages]

hile it may seem that the day of the small community bookstore has passed, we are excited to let you know that we (Robin Garber and Katie Cumiskey) have taken a stand against the chain store shrinkage of available LGBT literature. We have opened what is now NYC's only remaining LGBT bookstore - specializing in gift-quality, out of print, gently used, and brand new LGBT titles - all at used book prices. We regularly schedule readings, book signings, Scrabble tournaments, performances and serve as a meeting space for small community groups.

We are an out, married lesbian couple (one a NYC SPecial Ed teacher, the other a college professor) and we carry books in other genres as well - including children's book, books in foreign languages, poetry, science fiction and fantasy. LGBT titles cross almost all our genres and we love to introduce our customers to unfamiliar authors! Our services are far more focussed and informative than those offered in the small chain store LGBT sections. Next time you are in NY, come visit us!