Today we’d like to introduce you to Baker Rogers.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m, Baker Rogers, founder, CEO, and co-owner of Queer Haven Books in Columbia, South Carolina. I was born and raised in South Carolina and always wanted to create a queer space in Columbia. I started Queer Haven Books with the goal of being a safe and inviting third space in South Carolina. I opened Queer Haven Books in 2023 as a pop-up, and the brick-and-mortar location opened almost exactly one year later. Queer Haven Books is a third space for building queer community, spreading queer knowledge, and promoting literacy. At Queer Haven Books, they define queer broadly as a push back against the the norms and hate of this society. They highlight LGBTQIA+ authors and characters, in addition to providing providing books and resources to learn about and fight against all phobias and isms (homophobia, transphobia, heterosexism, racism, ableism, ageism, sexism, etc.).
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course owning a queer bookstore in South Carolina in 2026 has not been a smooth road. While the community has been amazing, and Columbia as a whole largely welcoming, we have faced push back. Our biggest obstacle yet is finding a new location for the store. We decided to expand because we currently only have 680 sq. ft of space and our events are getting larger. We signed a to move a couple blocks from our current location on Main Street in Columbia and a couple weeks later the news broke that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had obtained a 10-year lease for 1411 Main Street, Columbia, SC. This was less than a block from where our new location was slated to open within a couple of weeks.
We are a queer bookstore. We do not serve ICE. Keeping a queer bookstore on Main Street is no longer an option. Therefore, we sought out other opportunities and were rejected every time. We offered three landlords exactly what they were asking for, and they essentially said, no thank you, we don’t want you queer money.
So, June 28th will be the final day for the brick-and-mortar location. We will be going mobile for a while and then we will reassess in 2027. This has obviously put a damper on the business and is leading to the lack of this much needed third space. However, Queer Haven Books will still be sharing queer stories, promoting literacy, and providing resources to our community and beyond in the future. So, please don’t forget about us just because the brick-and-mortar didn’t make it this time. We aren’t going away. They can’t get rid of us that easily.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Professor of Sociology at Georgia Southern University and founder, CEO, and co-owner of Queer Haven Books. Scholarly, my research focuses on gender and sexuality, largely in the Southeastern United States. I’ve published a number of books and articles, including Conditionally Accepted: Christians’ Perspectives on Sexuality and Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights (2019); Trans Men in the South: Becoming Men (2020); King of Hearts: Drag Kings in the American South (2021); Gender and Sexuality in the Classroom: An Educator’s Guide (2022); and Trans Men’s Incarceration Experiences: Storytelling at the Intersections (2025). My academic work is also published in academic journals, including Men and Masculinities; Journal of Interpersonal Violence; Gender & Society; and Qualitative Sociology.
I started the bookstore to combine my passion for activism and community with my passion for education and research. I wanted to create a space were we could read queer authors and hear about queer people and characters.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Stick to your mission. Don’t let capitalism and difficulties throw you off course. You have to be mission driven if you are going to stay ethical in a messed up system. People are going to talk a lot. Take what’s helpful for your growth and leave the rest. Stay true to yourself, or no business or job will ever be fulfilling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://queerhavenbooks.com/
- Instagram: @queerhavenbooks
- Facebook: @queerhavenbooks
