Aesops Queer Library Is Something Other Retailers Should Look Into To Be Quite Honest
In an age when queer voices are still being silenced, books banned, and expression challenged, Aesops Queer Library offered something quietly radical: space, visibility, and freedom. From June 2629, select Aesop stores in New York City, Los Angeles, and Toronto were transformed into sanctuaries of queer literature. Shelves usually lined with skincare were instead brimming with free books by LGBTQIA2S+ authors and alliesno purchase required.This year marked the 2025 return of the Aesop Queer Library, an ephemeral but impactful installation rooted in the belief that queer storytelling can be both transformative and lifesaving. First introduced in 2020, the project has grown into a cultural touchstone for LGBTQIA2S+ communities across North America, offering not only a curated selection of literature but also a moment of quiet resistance, affirmation, and visibility in an increasingly hostile cultural climate.More Than a Book GiveawayThe Aesop Queer Library is not a pop-up shop, a PR stunt, or a marketing gimmick. It is a deeply intentional space where literature becomes a lifeline. Visitors who entered Aesops Rockefeller Center location in New York, Larchmont in Los Angeles, or Yorkville in Toronto were met not with product displays, but with bookshelves stocked with titles that reflect the complex, beautiful, and multifaceted nature of queer identity.Each book was offered freelywithout expectation, purchase, or prerequisites. This simple act carried profound meaning: in a world where access to queer narratives is increasingly restricted, Aesops choice to center these stories was a defiant declaration that queer voices matter, and that their stories deserve to be heard, shared, and preserved.Language as LiberationThe theme of the 2025 Queer Library was Language as Liberation, emphasizing the power of words to both shelter and spark transformation. The curated collection, developed in partnership with Penguin Random House, featured works from a diverse range of voices across the LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum.From Ocean Vuongs lyrical meditations in Time Is a Mother to Torrey Peters groundbreaking novel Detransition, Baby, the selection encompassed fiction, poetry, memoir, cookbooks, and more. Other featured authors included Malinda Lo, Chella Man, Raquel Willis, Kaveh Akbar, and Tourmaline, among others.Each work was chosen for its ability to resonate, challenge, comfort, and empower. Whether visitors found themselves in a coming-of-age novel, a revolutionary cookbook, or a personal memoir, the common thread was authenticityraw, unapologetic, and affirming.As Aesop noted in its official announcement: We celebrate the vibrant vocabularies crafted by LGBTQIA2S+ communities, and showcase the power of language as both a shelter and a declaration of defiance.A Cultural Salve in a Time of CensorshipThe 2025 Queer Library also served as a direct response to the escalating wave of book bans, censorship laws, and legislative attacks against queer and trans communities across the United States and Canada. Aesops decision to support the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU), a long-time defender of civil liberties and freedom of expression, underscores the Librarys political dimension.By aligning with the ACLU, Aesop made it clear that the Queer Library is not just about celebrationits about resistance. Its a reminder that reading is radical, that knowledge is power, and that preserving queer stories is an act of survival.Queer books are under attack, said one visitor at the Toronto installation. But here, theyre protected, honored, and shared. That means everything.A Monumental ImpactOne Book at a TimeAlthough temporary, the impact of the Queer Library is far from fleeting. According to Aesop, all print titles at each location were fully circulated before the end of the installation. Readers across all three cities embraced the opportunity to engage with queer literaturewhether discovering new authors or reconnecting with cherished voices.Ocean Vuong, who lent his voice to the in-store audio listening booth, offered visitors a poetic moment of reflection through a recording of one of his poems. His reading served as both a sonic sanctuary and a tribute to the written word, enveloping guests in a literal and metaphorical embrace.In total, dozens of authors were featured, including:Kaveh Akbar Martyr!Juno Dawson Her Majestys Royal CovenAngel Dimayuga Filipinx: Heritage Recipes from the DiasporaAdam Eli The New Queer ConscienceLauren Hough Leaving Isnt the Hardest ThingEloghosa Osunde Necessary FictionTourmaline Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. JohnsonRaquel Willis The Rise It Takes to BloomAnd many more, across genres and generations.A Space for Discovery and ConnectionFor many visitors, the Queer Library was about more than books. It became a space to feel seen, to connect with others, and to remember that queer joy is real and resilient. In the words of author and activist George M. Johnson, quoted in Aesops installation, You sometimes dont know you exist until you realize someone like you existed before.Thats the transformative power of queer storytellingwhen someone sees themselves in a book, it can affirm their identity, their worth, and their place in the world.Source
