The line at Queer Beans Coffee and Tea kept growing Tuesday afternoon as a steady stream of customers poured in for the shop's grand opening.
The new coffee shop and its companion bookstore, Little Gay Bookstore, are housed inside Stonewall Columbus on High Street in the Short North neighborhood.
"I feel overwhelmed with joy — and like I have to go get milk really quick," said co-owner Reese Steiner, who was busy filling drink orders.
Steiner said she wasn't expecting such a big turnout since the coffee shop and book store are only open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. One person told Steiner they took off work on Tuesday to be there for the opening.
When asked why spaces like Queer Beans and Little Gay Bookstore feel important today, Steiner chuckled, and said, "You want that list from A to Z?"
Steiner pointed to state and federal laws that target the queer community, attempts to shut down queer spaces and a rise in book bans that are often aimed at stories about gender identity and sexual orientation.
Steiner said the queer community also needs sober spaces to gather.
"Obviously there's amazing queer bars in this area, but there's really nowhere to hang out during the day. So we really wanted to provide that for the community as well," Steiner said.
Cory Strauss and her husband, Matthew, bought a dozen books from Little Gay Bookstore.
"We've been waiting all summer for this to come open. And today's actually my birthday. So, this is what I wanted to do," Cory Strauss said.
The couple said they used to visit Little Gay Bookstore when it was a mobile operation at Columbus Stonewall Pride and the Columbus Metropolitan Library's Book Festival. Now, they're thrilled with the atmosphere of the brick and mortar store. Cory Strauss said it's important for the LGBTQ+ community to have safe spaces.
"Not to mention the fact that public libraries are under attack in this country right now," Matthew Strauss added. "People banning, or legislatures banning books and what not. Places like this are more important than ever."
Ohio's biennial budget, approved by lawmakers earlier this year, originally required public libraries to display books about gender identity and sexual orientation where they wouldn't be easily seen by people under the age of 18. Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed that measure and several others before signing the budget into law, though several policies that impact the queer community remained in place, including the state recognizing only two sexes.
Tuesday, the energy at Queer Beans was joyous. Friends embraced, celebrated milestones and browsed the bookshelves.
Steiner said she hopes to expand the store's hours in the future so more folks can stop in.
