Bed Stuy Bookstore Provides Gathering Space for Black Queer Women

by Amber Sexton, Gay City News

Tucked away along Brooklyn’s Malcolm X Boulevard is a cozy new bookstore that doubles as a coffee shop and, in the near future, wine lounge — and it’s called Gladys Books & Wine.

Upon entering Gladys, you are greeted by the familiar smells of fresh books and coffee. These cozy smells are accompanied by decor that centers Black queer culture, like a huge flag adorned with the colors and stripes of the Lesbian Flag and the Transgender Pride Flag perched above a colorful portrait of the late Marsha P. Johnson.

And when she’s not working her second day job, you’re sure to hear the sound of owner Tiffany Dockery asking how you’re doing.

Dockery, 37, grew up in Chicago and moved to Bed Stuy a few years ago while working a tech job at Google. Around a year ago, she left her tech job and had the opportunity to connect more with her community in the neighborhood. This connection inspired her to open Gladys, a safe haven for Black queer women, in an effort to give back to her community.

Since the bookshop opened in September, many people have commented on the homey atmosphere, which Dockery attributes to her childhood in the midwest.

“I brought the experience I had in Chicago, like the use of color and wood and natural materials, into this space,” Dockery says. “What I love about Bed Stuy is that it reminds me of all of the best parts in Chicago.”

Every aspect of the bookstore is designed to unify and uplift the Black community through personal connection. At a time where many connections form through technology, Dockery hopes that having a space like Gladys will afford people the opportunity to form something deeper, based on real conversations and experiences.

But building this inspiring shop has not come easily. To open Gladys, she has invested her entire life and retirement savings, while continuing to work a second job in tech to provide extra support.

Yet in the face of these challenges, Dockery remains resilient and optimistic, a trait of her late grandmother Gladys, the shop’s namesake. She was a young orphan who relentlessly worked to create a life for herself and her family. Whenever times get tough, whether that be in her tech job or at Gladys, Dockery remembers and honors her grandmother’s legacy.

Having the support of Black queer folks in the neighborhood is a critical factor for Dockery. When older queer women come in and say they are proud of the shop, she realizes that her work is worthwhile.

The upstairs area is ideal for reading a book, while the downstairs features a bar. The wine lounge is not open just yet while Dockery works to obtain the liquor license, but the shop hosts events throughout the week — such as live podcast recordings, poetry readings, and featured authors — and continues to add more as they come. Dockery also says an event on Black sex workers is in the works.

Located at 306 Malcolm X Boulevard, Gladys’ is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. The long-empty space was previously home to Brookland Capital, a now defunct but once prolific Brooklyn developer of small condo buildings. The firm installed the big multi-paned steel windows, finished the cellar, and built out the backyard.

Dockery said she strongly believes that Black power comes in collective consciousness and action, and she hopes more people have the opportunity to join that collective at Gladys.

“We have to redevelop the skill of being with one another,” Dockery said. “That is how you form deep, meaningful connections.”

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Gay City News. Click here to see the original story.

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