Gladys Books & Wine Is the Black Lesbian-Owned Spot Changing the Bed-Stuy Scene

On Malcolm X Boulevard in Bed-Stuy, past the nail salons and corner stores, sits a new kind of neighborhood spot. Gladys Books & Wine is a Black lesbian-owned bookstore, coffee shop, and soon-to-be wine lounge built for Black queer femmes, studs, and everyone who loves them. 

Walk inside and the vibe hits immediately. There are arched shelves packed with Black and lesbian literature, jazz humming low, and pink feather chandeliers floating over retro bar stools. However, the brick-and-mortar shop has grown into more than a bookstore. It now serves as a full community hub and a safe space for LGBTQIA+ folks.

Gladys Books & Wine Is a Safe Haven for Queer Folks of Color

Owner Tiffany Dockery grew up in Chicago before moving to Bedford-Stuyvesant and landing a tech job at Google, according to Gay City News. A few years ago, she stepped away from that world and poured her life and retirement savings into a storefront on Malcolm X Boulevard. She decided to build the space she always wanted to see — a home base for Black queer women and Black trans femmes. On the shop’s website, she describes Gladys as “a Black lesbian bookstore and wine lounge in Bedford-Stuyvesant… a third space celebrating Black queer femme culture through curated literature, natural wines, and intentional programming.”

Dockery named the shop after her grandmother Gladys, whose Chicago home served as her first safe space. The house had velvet couches, family packed in every corner, food everywhere, and conversations running late into the night. Dockery says opening Gladys allows her to recreate that feeling in Brooklyn and give it back to the neighborhood that welcomed her.

“Our staff is full of trans and gender non-conforming folks, because they’ve always been a part of Black lesbian communities,” she Dockery told Go Mag. Her long-term goal is to provide healthcare for every staff member. “The biggest goal is to be sustainable, profitable, and able to take good care of the people who work here and the people in our community.”

Gladys Offers a Bit of Everything

Gladys functions as a true third space. Upstairs, the bookstore centers Black and lesbian voices, with shelves featuring Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Jesmyn Ward, Bolu Babalola, Candice Carty-Williams, Janet Mock, Saidiya Hartman, Jericho Brown, and Danez Smith. Online and in-store, the shop leans into curated sections such as “Lesbian Stories,” “Black Queer Futures,” “Romance,” and “Resistance Reads.”

Gladys also hosts live podcast tapings, poetry readings, author talks, film screenings, and mixers. According to Go Mag, recent lineups have included a screening of “Rainbow Girls” with a Q&A featuring activist Qween Jean, along with appearances by Kimberlé Crenshaw, the African American Policy Forum, and the Black Feminist School.

Downstairs, a bar anchors the future wine lounge. While Dockery finishes the liquor license process, the team serves coffee all day — lattes, matcha, strong espresso. Customers can also purchase non-alcoholic wines and teas for people who want a ritual without the hangover. Gladys stays open long hours — 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, later on Friday and Saturday, and a softer close on Sundays. The schedule gives people room to slide in before work, post-brunch, or after a night out.

What’s your favorite Black or queer-owned bookstore you’ve visited, and what made it special? Comment below!

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