Librairie L'Androgyne

Librairie L'Androgyne was an independent gay, lesbian, feminist, and queer bookstore in Montreal, Quebec, active from 1973 until its closure in 2002. Founded in the fall of 1973 by Will Aitken and Bruce Garside, with financial backing from John Southin, the store emerged during a period when Montreal's queer community had relatively few public gathering places outside bars and nightlife venues. Barbara Scales helped establish the store's feminist section, broadening its scope beyond gay and lesbian books to include feminist writing and non-sexist books for children. The store initially operated on Crescent Street, near the Stanley Street area that then served as the centre of Montreal's gay village. Its original inventory was in English, but it later developed a bilingual English- and French-language collection. L'Androgyne became more than a retail outlet: it displayed posters for community events, sold tickets for concerts, hosted meetings, and served as a point of contact for activists, writers, researchers, and readers. Its collection was regarded as unusually extensive for queer literature in Quebec and Canada. The ownership and operating structure changed repeatedly. In 1975, Aitken and Garside sought to withdraw from active responsibility, and Frank Brayton and Kirk Kelly briefly took over. By 1976, the store had become a volunteer collective. The volunteers did not own the business or receive compensation, while Mark Wilson was particularly involved in maintaining financial records and setting budgets. The collective remained active through the early 1980s, despite changes in its membership. During its first period on Crescent Street, L'Androgyne shared premises with the anarchist bookstore Black Rose until Black Rose moved out in 1978. In 1982, L'Androgyne moved to a small upstairs shop on Saint Laurent Boulevard. The following year, two volunteers, Lawrence Boyle and Philip Rappaport, acquired the store. Boyle became its sole owner in 1986 and moved it that year to a larger ground-floor location, the site most associated with the bookstore during its best-known period. Over the next fifteen years, L'Androgyne became a significant centre for queer literature from Quebec, Canada, and other parts of the world, and participated in the growth of queer publishing and distribution networks. The bookstore also faced the broader regulatory and commercial pressures affecting queer booksellers. During the 1980s, Canada Customs repeatedly delayed or blocked shipments of books destined for L'Androgyne, as it did with other specialized LGBT bookstores including Glad Day Bookshop and Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium. These border interventions made the distribution of queer literature more difficult and costly. Boyle sold the store to France Désilets in 1995. Désilets sold it to Bernard Rousseau, owner of the Priape chain, in 2001, while remaining as manager. That year, the shop moved to Amherst Street, now known as Rue Atateken, in the relocated Gay Village. L'Androgyne closed in 2002 amid the decline of LGBT-oriented independent bookstores across North America. Rousseau chose not to add pornography and sex-related merchandise to the store's range, partly because those products would have competed with Priape's existing business. The Montreal feminist and queer bookstore L'Euguelionne has subsequently acknowledged L'Androgyne as a predecessor.

Librairie L'Androgyne was established in Montreal in the fall of 1973 by Will Aitken and Bruce Garside, with John Southin providing capital. Barbara Scales played an important role in creating the store's feminist section. It began on Crescent Street, close to Stanley Street, an area associated with Montreal's gay village at the time. The shop initially carried English-language titles and later developed a collection in both English and French. Because queer people had few public community spaces beyond bars, L'Androgyne quickly functioned as a cultural and political centre as well as a bookstore. It posted notices for events, sold concert tickets, hosted meetings, and welcomed researchers seeking access to a substantial collection of LGBT and feminist material. In 1975, Aitken and Garside attempted to step back from active management. Frank Brayton and Kirk Kelly briefly took over, but both soon departed. By 1976, the shop was being run by an unpaid volunteer collective. No volunteer owned the store or received compensation, and Mark Wilson was notably responsible for financial administration and budget-setting. The membership changed over time, although a core group maintained the bookstore through 1982. L'Androgyne shared its original premises with the anarchist bookstore Black Rose until Black Rose left in 1978. The shop moved in 1982 to a small upstairs location on Saint Laurent Boulevard. In 1983, volunteers Lawrence Boyle and Philip Rappaport acquired it. Boyle became sole owner in 1986 and moved the bookstore to a larger ground-floor location. That site became closely identified with L'Androgyne during the following fifteen years, when the store served as an important outlet for queer writing from Quebec, Canada, and elsewhere. Its role coincided with the development of queer publishing and helped connect authors, activists, readers, and community organizations. The bookstore encountered restrictions affecting the importation and distribution of LGBT books. In the 1980s, Canada Customs repeatedly delayed or blocked shipments addressed to L'Androgyne. Similar problems affected other Canadian queer booksellers, including Glad Day Bookshop and Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium. These episodes formed part of the broader difficulty that specialized LGBT retailers faced in obtaining and circulating books. Boyle sold L'Androgyne to France Désilets in 1995. In 2001, Désilets sold it to Bernard Rousseau, the owner of the Priape chain, while continuing as manager. Also in 2001, the store moved to Amherst Street, now Rue Atateken, in the relocated Gay Village. The bookstore closed in 2002. Its end came during a broader decline in LGBT-focused independent bookstores in North America. Rousseau did not expand the store into pornography and other sex-related merchandise, a category that might have supplied additional revenue, because doing so would largely have competed with Priape's existing business. L'Euguelionne, a Montreal feminist and queer bookstore, later recognized L'Androgyne as a predecessor.

• 2002

  Store closes

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  L'Androgyne ceased operations during the decline of LGBT-oriented independent bookstores in North America.

• 2001

  Final relocation and sale to Priape owner

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  The store moved to Amherst Street and was sold to Bernard Rousseau, owner of the Priape chain.

• 1995

  Ownership passes to France Désilets

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  Boyle sold the bookstore to France Désilets.

• 1986

  Sole ownership and larger premises

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  Lawrence Boyle became sole owner and moved L'Androgyne to a larger ground-floor location.

• 1983

  Boyle and Rappaport acquire the store

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  Two volunteers, Lawrence Boyle and Philip Rappaport, became the bookstore's owners.

• 1982

  Move to Saint Laurent Boulevard

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  L'Androgyne relocated to a small upstairs shop on Saint Laurent Boulevard.

• 1978

  Black Rose leaves shared premises

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  The anarchist bookstore Black Rose moved out of the space it had shared with L'Androgyne.

• 1976

  Volunteer collective takes over operations

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  The store became an unpaid volunteer collective, with Mark Wilson maintaining finances and budgets.

• 1975

  Initial active partners withdraw

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  Aitken and Garside sought to leave active responsibility, leading to a short-lived change in operators.

• 1973

  Bookstore founded in Montreal

  [1]Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org

  Will Aitken, Bruce Garside, and financial backer John Southin established L'Androgyne on Crescent Street.

A community-oriented independent bookstore and cultural meeting place focused on queer, gay and lesbian, feminist, and inclusive children's literature.

• LGBT literature · 1973

  Gay and lesbian literature

  The store's core collection consisted of books by and about gay and lesbian people, including literary, cultural, political, and community-oriented works. Its collection made material available to Montreal readers that was often difficult to find through mainstream booksellers.

• Feminist books · 1973

  Feminist literature

  A dedicated feminist section, developed with Barbara Scales' involvement, formed an important part of the bookstore's identity. It extended the shop's remit beyond LGBT literature and connected it with feminist publishing and activism.

• Children's literature

  Non-sexist children's books

  L'Androgyne stocked children's books selected for non-sexist themes and representation, reflecting its broader commitment to inclusive and socially progressive publishing.

• Books

  Bilingual queer and feminist collection

  Although the initial inventory was English-language, the store later carried titles in both English and French, serving Montreal's bilingual readership and providing access to Quebec, Canadian, and international queer publishing.

• 2002

  Closed the storeOther

  Background

  L'Androgyne operated in a period when LGBT-oriented independent bookstores across North America were under increasing commercial pressure.

  Action taken

  The bookstore ceased operations.

  Aftermath

  The Montreal feminist and queer bookstore L'Euguelionne later identified L'Androgyne as a predecessor.

  Source

• 2001

  Sold the bookstore to Bernard RousseauM&A

  Background

  France Désilets, who had acquired the bookstore in 1995, transferred ownership to Bernard Rousseau, owner of the Priape chain.

  Action taken

  Rousseau acquired L'Androgyne while Désilets remained involved as manager.

  Aftermath

  The store continued briefly after the transaction but closed in 2002 during the contraction of LGBT-focused independent bookstores.

  Source

• 2001

  Did not add pornography and sex-related merchandiseStrategy

  Background

  After the Priape owner acquired the bookstore, expanding into merchandise sold by many LGBT-oriented retailers was a possible commercial response to changing market conditions.

  Action taken

  Bernard Rousseau chose not to add pornography and related sex products to L'Androgyne's catalogue.

  Aftermath

  The decision avoided direct cannibalization of Priape's existing sales but left the bookstore exposed to the wider decline affecting specialized LGBT booksellers.

  Source

• 1986

  Moved to a larger ground-floor locationStrategy

  Background

  After becoming sole owner, Lawrence Boyle had the opportunity to expand the bookstore's physical presence.

  Action taken

  Boyle moved L'Androgyne from its small upstairs premises to a larger ground-floor location.

  Aftermath

  The new site became the store's best-known location and supported its role as a major Quebec and Canadian queer bookstore.

  Source

• 1976

  Adopted volunteer-collective operationsStrategy

  Background

  After early founders and operators withdrew from active responsibility, the bookstore needed a structure that could keep it functioning as a community resource.

  Action taken

  A group of volunteers operated the store without ownership or compensation, with financial administration and budgeting handled within the collective.

  Aftermath

  The model kept L'Androgyne open through the early 1980s and reinforced its role as a community and political space.

  Source

1. 1Librairie L'Androgyneen.wikipedia.org