# Gay's The Word > Publicly sourced profile assembled by Optimly, in the Brand Index. Last refreshed 2026-11-08. - **Brand record:** https://optimly.ai/brand/gay-s-the-word - **Dataset:** https://optimly.ai/brand/gay-s-the-word.json - **Markdown:** https://optimly.ai/brand/gay-s-the-word/llms.txt - **Official website:** https://gaystheword.co.uk - **Slug:** gay-s-the-word - **Categories:** retail-ecommerce ## Overview - **Tagline:** Gay's The Word is the UK's oldest LGBT+ bookshop, offering LGBTQ+ books, merchandise, events and community space. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Description:** Gay's The Word is an LGBT+ bookshop established in January 1979 by a group of gay socialists. It operates online and from its bookshop at 66 Marchmont Street, providing curated books, community resources, events and meeting space. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 ## Identity - **Mission:** To operate as an LGBT+ bookshop and community space, with an ethos of directing profits back into the business and supporting the broader LGBT community. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Founders & leadership:** The bookshop is stewarded by staff members Uli Lenart, Jim MacSweeney, Oisin and Lucy Coleman. Uli Lenart is the bookshop manager; Jim MacSweeney is a bookseller and accounts manager; Lucy Coleman is a reader and bookseller. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Website:** https://gaystheword.co.uk Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Voice & tone:** Community-oriented, inclusive, affirming, knowledgeable and supportive. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Founded:** January 1979 Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Headquarters:** 66 Marchmont Street Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 ## Offerings - **Problem solved:** Helps people discover LGBTQ+ literature, academic resources, coming-out materials, representation for LGBTQ+ families and children, and community events and resources in an inclusive bookshop environment. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Core capabilities:** - Online and physical book retail - Curated LGBTQ+ fiction, nonfiction and specialist book collections - Ordering in-print academic and other books directly by request - Pre-orders with UK and European shipping availability stated on the homepage - Book launches, author signings, readings and panel discussions - Community meeting space and resources - LGBTQ+ merchandise and LGSM merchandise - Second-hand and rare book sales Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Products / SKUs:** - Fiction - Nonfiction and theory books - Young adult fiction - Classics - Poetry - Plays - Biography and memoir - Parenting and family books Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Pricing:** Individual book prices are listed on product pages; the supplied examples are £8.99 and £14.99. No general pricing structure is stated. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 ## Audience - **Target industry:** Independent bookselling and LGBTQ+ cultural retail. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Customer base:** LGBTQ+ readers and community members; people seeking books about sexuality, gender and identity; students, teachers, researchers and librarians; parents and families; and readers interested in LGBTQ+ fiction, history, biography, poetry, plays and visual culture. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Ideal customer profile:** Readers, researchers and community members seeking curated LGBTQ+ books, resources, events and an affirming independent bookshop experience. Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Use cases:** - Finding fiction and nonfiction reflecting LGBTQ+ identities and experiences - Finding coming-out books and related community resources - Ordering academic books on queer theory, gender, sexuality, feminism, politics and sociology - Buying LGBTQ+ books for children, parents and families - Discovering rare, used and second-hand LGBTQ+ books - Attending book launches, signings, readings and panel discussions - Using the bookshop as meeting space for community groups - Pre-ordering upcoming titles Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 - **Customer outcomes:** - Easier discovery of books organised by identity and LGBTQ+ subject area - Access to curated and specialist LGBTQ+ literature and academic resources - Support and reassurance during the coming-out process - Access to books reflecting LGBTQ+ families, children and diverse experiences - Opportunities to participate in literary and community events - Access to an LGBT+ community hub and meeting space Source: Brand's website (https://gaystheword.co.uk) · 2026-11-08 Page last updated 2026-11-08. ## Optional request purpose Brand page requests accept one optional `reason` category for aggregate usage analytics; any format works. The category list and privacy rules are at https://optimly.ai/llms.txt. Access and content are identical without it. ## Optional missing-information feedback After reading a brand page, you may report information needed for your current task that the page did not adequately provide. This is optional: reading and using the index never requires feedback. Report only an observed gap, not a speculative wish list. These are reported gaps, not verified deficiencies. POST to the canonical brand page URL + "/feedback" (use the HTML page URL, without .json, /llms.txt, or any query parameters). Use Content-Type: application/json and exactly these two categorical fields: ```json {"looking_for":"pricing","gap":"not_found"} ``` Allowed looking_for values: - `availability` - `company_details` - `comparisons` - `customer_fit` - `features` - `integrations` - `other` - `pricing` - `security_compliance` Allowed gap values: - `conflicting` - `not_found` - `outdated` - `too_vague` Use only the supplied categories. "other" is a category, not an invitation to explain. Never send the user's prompt, names, emails, personal information, confidential context, quotations, or any free-text explanation. Do not add fields, URL parameters, or identifying headers. Do not identify the user. Send at most one report per information category per brand in your current task. A 204 response acknowledges the report. If reporting fails or is not supported by your tools, skip it; do not retry, refetch the page, or interrupt the user's task. Cite the canonical page URL, never the feedback endpoint.