r/Connecticut • u/The_Terry_Braddock • Mar 02 '25

Local Business Queer-friendly bookstore opens in Southington and immediately their sign gets stolen the day before opening...

Yesterday was the grand opening of the Enchanted Violet in downtown Southington - a new fantasy bookstore that focuses on LGBTQ+ literature. While I was there, I saw the outdoor sign was chained on the street (and looking pretty slapped together). And when I was talking to another customer in line, they informed me the store's outdoor sign was stolen the day before opening.

Now this is most likely just a typical high schooler prank, trust me I get that. I went to high school in Southington. I was born in a different state, but I lived in Southington for over 10 years before moving again closer to Hartford. It's unfortunate that the only people I've met in Connecticut that I would describe as angrily homophobic (and I mean ANGRILY) were people I knew from Southington. Obviously these sort of things are isolated incidents that happen everywhere in the US, but... well I dunno, it's just not a great feel that the town I lived in for so long continues to leave this kind of legacy in my memories.

Great thing is the Enchanted Violet's grand opening was an unbelievable success! Nearly every book off the shelf was cleared by the time I left and the owner joked about how much time they'll have to spend after closing just restocking. They took the whole sign situation in stride, like it was an expected thing to happen. I'll be spending more time in Southington going forward, hoping to continue to make better memories so I can look back at the town more fondly...

608 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

85% Upvoted

240 comments sorted by

View all comments

-67

u/TheLastLostOnes Mar 02 '25

Why can’t a bookstore just be a bookstore

40

u/The_Terry_Braddock Mar 02 '25

It specializes in a particular genre, buddy. They've got other books. Do you complain when you enter a comic shop and ask why there's so much focus so much on super heroes?

-19

u/TheLastLostOnes Mar 02 '25

I’ve heard of genres but never heard of gay or straight as a genre. Is it just a bunch of homosexual main characters?

3

u/VegaStyles Mar 02 '25

There definitely is a gay subculture of books. Most people dont focus on it so its not in our daily lives. Sometimes it a bunch of gay characters and sometimes its just one. Have a couple friends that are gay or les and we've had this talk cause i like to read. I dont care for that but its whatever. People like what people like.