Jon and Sandy Wolfmueller are retiring.
The Little Gay Shop
Justin Galicz and Kirt Reynolds founded The Little Gay Shop in Austin in 2019 with the goal of becoming a one-stop shop to purchase artwork exclusively designed by LGBTQIA+ people. After several months of pop-ups and online sales, they opened their physical location this month.
“In our current political climate, one of the most radical things we can do is be visible,” Galicz told the Austin American-Statesman, adding that anti-LGBTQ hate crimes are still a scourge in the community. “Opening a physical spot is a way to do that.”
Right now, only two customers are allowed in the store at a time, and reservations are available for shopping times. The door is left open for air flow, hand sanitizer is provided, and they do lots of wipe downs. The store does local delivery and pickup.
Reynolds says giving Austinites access to queer reading material is important to him. “We’ve worked hard to build a collection of rare, one-of-a-kind books and magazines that you can’t find in Austin, in Texas or some even in the U.S.,” he told the Statesman.
Eventually, they want it to host markets, comedy shows and movie screenings.
The shop is located at 828 Airport Blvd. Operating hours are Wednesday-Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., by appointment only. Contact them by email at contact@thelittlegayshop.com or by phone at (727) 271-1026.
Jon and Sandy Wolfmueller are retiring. Their bookstore, famous for its Texas history books, will be closing in the coming months, and they are selling some of their inventory to collectors and bookstores around the country.
“We’ve been thinking about it for a while,” Jon told the Kerrville Daily Times. “We were trying to decide when the best time would be.”
On August 3, the Wolfmuellers will begin letting people into the store to sort through more than twenty thousand books, by appointment only. The couple knows this is going to take several weeks, maybe months, to liquidate.
According to the Daily Times, the Wolfmuellers will miss their interaction with customers most. “People felt comfortable in here,” Sandy said. “A lot of the local people, you know, we’d find books for them, and that’s what we’re most proud of.”
“We’ve made it a destination with collectors and book readers” Jon said.
“There’s no rush to close it up,” Sandy said. “And who knows—somebody may want it.”
To find the Texas bookstore nearest you, consult the Lone Star Lit Bookstore Page.
