Gay's The Word is the only specifically lesbian and gay bookstore in the UK. It is located in Bloomsbury, London. 2017 marks the 38th anniversary of the founding of the store, which first opened its doors on 17 January 1979. Inspired by the emergence and growth of lesbian and gay bookstores in the States, a small group of people from Gay Icebreakers, a gay socialist group founded the store in 1979.