After repeated incidents of verbal and online abuse, the owners of a community bookstore in Old Town Monrovia — considered a safe space for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ groups — have announced they will be closing its doors in summer. That is, unless someone from the community is willing to step up.
Underdog Bookstore opened its doors on Myrtle Ave. exactly one year ago last April. Many community members say the bookstore is one of the few spaces centering LGBTQ+ authors and writers of color in the San Gabriel Valley. The store prides itself on being inclusive to all; hosting events, and curating by demographic and identity — with books from AAPI, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, Black authors, etc.
News of the closure was first announced online on March 29, where its owners wrote that the bookstore’s future is “uncertain…but we remain committed to the community.” They invited all supporters to a packed meeting at the store on April 1, where they shared plans to still run the store, currently open on weekends, until the end of June.
“We don’t want the San Gabriel Valley to become a book desert, and we know Monrovia needs more affirming places like Underdog. So we are open to ideas,” the owners wrote on Facebook.
Founder Thomas Murtland, who runs the store with husband Nathan Allen, said they are concerned about the physical safety of both staff and customers. Murtland said that since the brick-and-mortar first opened last April, its curated book selection — and being LGBT-owned — drew unexpected and frequent hate in the form of verbal comments. After an incident in February, Murtland and Allen tried to combat the hate by offering discounts on selected books.
“We ultimately came to the decision that what was best for us, the owners, was just to step back from being in the store and running it,” Murtland, 33, said after the meeting.
Last June and July, as Pride Month approached and more themed events were planned, Murtland said the hate only…
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