A Queer Little Book Club meets monthly at the Book Keeper, with a unique and charming origin story.
The people behind it, June Null and Beth Dekker, are a dynamic pair. Dekker is effervescent and talkative, while Null brings a grounding presence to the duo.
It’s surprising to learn that these friends, who share such great chemistry, only met a year ago, when both attended the same event solo.
“We met at the rally to support trans youth,” Null explains.
“We started talking and we were together at that protest. And then we became friends from that and we realized that we had a lot in common,” Dekker finishes.
From that point, they discovered a shared love of reading and decided to start a queer book club, which quickly grew into something much more.
“We were like, ‘hey, we should do this. We should do this more,’” says Dekker. “ June and I were like, we want to read gay books about gay people…And it turned into Queer and Questioning, which we're really proud of.”
Queer and Questioning hosts free or low-cost hangouts twice a month for the adult 2SLGBTQIA community, with the book club being one of their regular monthly events, explains Dekker.
The book club currently takes place on the second Tuesday of the month, and the pair have branched out to host movie nights, walks, visit art exhibitions, and even star gazing.
“They were some of our biggest events because it was just chilling on the beach and everyone had a good time,” says Null.
The Book Keeper has been a strong supporter of both the book club and Queer and Questioning.
“The bookkeeper has been incredible for that [supporting the group]. On Stonewall Day, they gave us 50% of their profits, which was like holy cow, incredible, fantastic. And that is going to get us through the entire year of events,” says Dekker.
At their last meeting on October 22, there was a large turnout, and one of the best things about this club is its relaxed, no-pressure vibe. There’s no judgment if you didn’t finish, or even start, the book. The group encourages open discussion, offers a safe space to be yourself, and welcomes conversations that go off-topic.
“I love it when the conversation rolls into something else. I could just keep going with that forever, and that's why June has to keep cutting me off,” jokes Dekker. “I love hearing that and feeling like we're really getting to know each other, through the book, which I think is a good bonding opportunity for people.”
The next meeting is on Monday, November 11 with a novel set in the satanic panic era as the selection is “Rainbow Black” by Maggie Thrash. The Book Keeper offers the selection at 20 percent off.
“Queer means we get to jump so much from different genres,” explains Null.
Each selection is either voted on or suggested by members, resulting in a wide range of genres, even including a graphic novel.
“To hear what other people are into I think that's the fun thing,” says Dekker.
If you’re interested in joining, Dekker and Null say the only requirement is being 18 or older. The group is always welcoming new members.
Dekker remembers how they simply decided, “let’s do a book club,” and now, it’s grown into so much more—with different events, new connections, and people even meeting up outside the group, which, as Dekker puts it, “feels so good.”
Next Meeting Details:
What: Queer Little Book Club
When: Monday, November 11, 2024 @ 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Book Keeper, 500 Exmouth Street