A Different Light Bookstore (Closed Permanently)

Since 1979 A Different Light Bookstore has been more than just a seller of LGBT titles. It has functioned as a sort of de facto community center, where anyone seeking information about some aspect of gay life would end up at one point or another. Located in the heart of the Castro, it has seen it's fair share of stacks across the isles. Like many independent bookstores, it has struggled, and the shelves of serious gay literature have been replaced over the years by adult fare and ticky-tacky gift products. But that's a survival strategy, to be sure, and the space itself still serves as an invaluable clearinghouse and meeting place. Many of the community's top authors and journalists have held forth here.