We Take Care Of Us 🤝
February might be the shortest month of the year, but we honor those who came before us every day. For Black History Month, The Nonbinarian celebrates and pays homage to Black queer pioneers, without whom the queer community would not be what it is today. Black history is queer history and queer history is Black history.
Many of the titles on our book lists like the one linked above are also on our inventory wishlist! We see the highest demand for picture books, board books, and middle-grade books, and we have shifted the focus of our wishlist accordingly. Purchasing books directly through this wishlist (or the ones listed under Partnerships, below) sends them directly to the Book Bike, which is a great option to help us bulk up our inventory before our distribution season begins.
You can also mail in books or deliver them in-person at any of our pop-up events. We accept new and used titles, galleys and advanced reader copies, self-published works, library discards, and remainders. Our definition of "queer" for children's books (ages 0-12) is very broad, though we prioritize those that feature LGBTQIA+ characters and/or are written by LGBTQIA+ authors. Not sure if a book you have fits the bill? DM @nonbinarianbike on Instagram or email kay@thenonbinarian.gay.
If you'd like more themed book recommendations, be sure to check out our "Radical Future Building" mutual aid list and our most anticipated 2024 titles.
— Samantha Puc, Newsletter Editor & Book Club Coordinator
Bluestocking Cooperative Bookstore & Community Space is the oldest queer and feminist bookstore left in NYC. Founded in 1999 as a women’s bookstore, we have grown over the last 20+ years to become an intersectional space focused on curating the histories and stories of people that are often silenced; our shelves are full of queer history and theory, books on Black studies, prison abolition, indigenous speculative fiction, sex work activism, disability justice, and every kind of queer and trans fiction we can get our hands on, from children's books and time-traveling meet-cutes to post-apocalyptic body horror.
More than selling books and coffee, though, we believe that it's important to have a third space where marginalized people can come together without having to spend money. Anyone is welcome to come hang out or use the bathroom without making a purchase (although we keep our cafe offerings affordable on purpose). So although we are a queer-focused space, we have regulars from all walks of life, and it's beautiful to watch people who might never interact otherwise talking passionately about environmental activism or Gideon the Ninth.
Part of the work we are most proud of is our free store and our opiate overdose prevention program. In recent years, homelessness in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression and the opiate epidemic has also caused overdose deaths to skyrocket, all while our city has invested billions of dollars in the NYPD and cut services across departments—all issues that disproportionately impact the queer community.
Our free store program has become a resource many people in the neighborhood rely on, housed and unhoused alike. We give out necessities like snacks, clean socks, hand warmers, and hygiene items to anyone who needs them, no questions asked. We are also passionate harm reduction educators and host Narcan training every Saturday, as well as on-the-spot training any time we’re open. In addition, we distribute other materials like fentanyl test strips, condoms, and Plan B. We take care of us!
We are a space by and for our community, and would love you to get involved. You can come visit us at 116 Suffolk Street, Tuesday-Sunday, or volunteer to help staff the free store here. We also host workshops, readings, book clubs, and other events. If you have an idea for something you want to do for the community, email us at events@bluestockings.com, follow us on Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter to stay in touch.
Long live radical queer community,
Bluestockings Cooperative
Valentine's Day may not be for everyone, but we think it's a great excuse to add a little 🌶 spice 🌶 to our reading list. This month's book club pick is Mrs. S by K. Patrick!
The Nonbinarian Book Club is partnered with Bluestockings Cooperative. You can purchase this month's Nonbinarian Book Club book at Bluestockings to support their mission and ours! Click here to order online and use code BOOKBIKE for 15% off at checkout.
The Nonbinarian Book Bike is partnered with the following independent bookstores! Books purchased from our wishlists will be donated directly to the bike for free distribution.
The Nonbinarian Book Bike is also proud to partner with the following organizations for our community reading events! Please check out their mission statements and support them however possible.
🌠 Reading 4 Black Lives Project
Finally, The Nonbinarian Book Bike is partnered with Trans formative Schools, "a progressive education community centering trans joy and social justice." The organization aims to uplift trans children and educators, as well as families "touched by transness," through the implementation of a free afterschool program for ages 9-15. Trans formative Schools' dream is to create a liberal middle school that employs rigorous academics, identity exploration, and more.
All books purchased from this Bookshop wishlist will go directly to Trans formative Schools. The Nonbinarian Book Bike receives a portion of each purchase, which helps us pay for storage, bike maintenance and upkeep, and more. By purchasing from this list, you directly support two trans-led organizations and support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org.
If you'd like to partner with us for an event or sponsorship, please reach out via e-mail! In addition to subscribing to our newsletter, following us on social media, and participating in events, you can also support the Book Bike in the following ways:
📚 Donate a book (or books) to the Book Bike!
📚 Donate funds to help upkeep costs like storage and bike maintenance! You can make a one-time donation or set up a monthly one on Ko-Fi, or you can donate via Venmo.
📚 Buy a book from our wishlist!
📚 Buy a book through our Bookshop storefront!
📚 Support us with a Libro.fm subscription!
📚 Buy Nonbinarian merch!
To get involved in our virtual or physical programming, please DM @nonbinarianbike on IG or email kay@thenonbinarian.gay!
Thank you to the Nonbinarian community for making our first season so successful! It has been such a joy to meet you at pop-ups, interact with you on social media, and further get to know the Brooklyn community and its various neighborhoods.
In 2024, our distribution will begin earlier, allowing us to bring even more books to even further reaches of the city. Stay tuned! 📚🚲✨
Want to contribute to the Nonbinarian Newsletter?
If you have something you'd like to submit to the newsletter including events, mutual aid needs, book recs, or ideas you'd like to see us include, please email us at newsletter@thenonbinarian.gay.
Thank you for supporting the Nonbinarian Book Bike! Look for our next newsletter on the 1st of the month. In the meantime, follow us on social media for daily updates.