St. Louis gay bookstore to close

Planet Pride Books and Gifts, which has served as a bookstore and resource center for St. Louis gays and lesbians for the past 3-1/2 years, will close its doors this month, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The owner of the store cited personal reasons for wanting to close it. According to the Post-Dispatch, Planet Pride is the only bookstore in the area that caters specifically to gay men and lesbians. "We were part of the community and specialized in material for the community," said manager Norman Pack. "It's been a source of information about the community. It was a place people could come and ask questions or express concerns, about themselves or a loved one."