Back door to Out & About Books at 930 N Mills Ave.
In the late twentieth century, as a result of decades of activism, the LGBTQ movement began to establish a more mainstream presence. Part of this involved LGBTQ-identifying people creating a public community for themselves outside the stereotype of gay bars and drag shows. Orlando reflected this national trend, becoming a tourist and professional destination for gay Americans. With the opening of the Palace Club in 1969 and Parliament House in 1975, a gay resort, Orlando’s gay community blossomed. The opening of Out & About Books in 1992, one of Orlando’s first gay bookstores, extended gay meeting spaces beyond a focus on erotic pleasure. A space of community building, this bookstore became an integral part of the Central Florida gay community. American gay spaces are unique and diverse, and Out & About Books reflected the diversity of gay meeting spaces in Orlando.
TOMES & TREASURES
Orlando’s first LGBTQ-centered bookstore was inspired by Ground's success with his first store, Tomes and Treasures. Born and raised in Kentucky in the 1960s and 1970s, Ground describes his childhood as “southern gothic.” His life shifted dramatically when he moved to Florida in 1985 with his then partner Richard. Ground became a member of the gay community in Tampa and acquainted with his life partner, Gary Bailey. He felt that “[the gay community was] everywhere.” Ground was deeply involved in the Christian community in Tampa and felt he had a role to fill. He opened Tomes and Treasures in the back of a gay restaurant in October 1987. The store was more than gay and lesbian books; it sold unique books and magazines, received donations from the church, and developed into a community space. When Gary was transferred to Orlando, Bruce went with him. They sold the store, which by then had moved out of the restaurant and could “hold [its] own,” said goodbye to their community, and drove over to Orlando.
MORE THAN JUST BOOKS
An example of Out & About Books’ unique and provocative advertisements. This one has Jesus Christ’s, or “JC,” apostles asking where he got his 2(X)ist underwear and a copy of the gay magazine “Honcho.” Clearly, he shops at Out & About Books.
Out and About Books was more than just a bookstore. While Ground modeled his Orlando store on Tomes and Treasures, it became a much larger cultural cornerstone. The store, which opened in May 1992, was located in an old pawn shop at 930 N. Mills Avenue. Bruce avoided Orange Blossom Trail and Parliament House, traditional gay areas in downtown Orlando, because he wanted his store to be more than a gay destination. It was a place for parents to search for advice for their freshly out sons and daughters, for “closeted” people to explore, and for the “out” community to come together and advocate for themselves. For Ground, his biggest goal was to make sure he “had fun doing it.”
Through his bookstore, Bruce Ground advocated for and helped develop a unified district of LGBTQ-friendly businesses. Besides the flashy and extravagant plays, Out and About Books also hosted meetings for the Metropolitan Business Association, an organization “composed of companies and individuals involved in business and professional pursuits in greater Orlando’s gay and lesbian community.” Out & About Books also became an anchor of the ViMi District, a collection of LGBTQ-owned and operated businesses on the corner of Virginia Drive and Mills Avenue. Other stores included Rainbow City, a gift shop, and Wacko, a clothing store. Even though the majority of their clientele was LGBTQ, they chose to “distance themselves from the gay community.” They wanted to walk the line on providing a place where the gay community “[could] feel at home,” but “didn’t want to push that” they were open only for gay businesses.
Through his bookstore, Bruce Ground advocated for and helped develop a unified district of LGBTQ-friendly businesses. Besides the flashy and extravagant plays, Out and About Books also hosted meetings for the Metropolitan Business Association, an organization “composed of companies and individuals involved in business and professional pursuits in greater Orlando’s gay and lesbian community.” Out & About Books also became an anchor of the ViMi District, a collection of LGBTQ-owned and operated businesses on the corner of Virginia Drive and Mills Avenue. Other stores included Rainbow City, a gift shop, and Wacko, a clothing store. Even though the majority of their clientele was LGBTQ, they chose to “distance themselves from the gay community.” They wanted to walk the line on providing a place where the gay community “[could] feel at home,” but “didn’t want to push that” they were open only for gay businesses.
And did you know… that when Bruce opened Out & About Books … it was the only gay business in the neighborhood. Now, it’s the center of a whole gay and lesbian retail district.
-Sam Singhaus, aka Miss Sammy
After the death of Gary Bailey, Out & About Books was never the same. Bruce Ground closed the store in February 2001. Many of the other establishments that characterized the district are gone, and Mills50 is no longer a powerhouse LGBTQ district. However, it is still an eclectic group of gay-friendly businesses that helps define Orlando. Out & About Books and the ViMi District demonstrated the diversity of the Orlando gay community, extending its influence way beyond bars and drag clubs.
This exhibition was organized by Rollins College student Erika Wesch as part of the course History of American Sexuality.
Learn More About the Partnership
Learn More About the Partnership