Staff at a Glasgow bookshop that was recently vandalised say they are "blown away" by the generosity and solidarity shown to them following the "targeted" attack.
Category Is Books, which was opened in the city's Southside eight years ago by owners Bug and Fin, recently had one of its windows smashed.
The Glasgow Times previously reported that the window features the slogan "Trans Liberation Now", with the section displaying the word "trans" specifically targeted.
After setting up a GoFundMe to help purchase shutters for the store, with a target of £10,000, the shop, which sells new and second-hand queer books, magazines, graphic novels, comics, zines, badges and stickers, ultimately raised more than £14,000, reaching its goal in just 12 hours.
Category Is Books was founded by Bug and Fin to create a space where the queer community could learn, be inspired and share a love of queer books, art, history, activism, writing and storytelling.
As queer trans people who grew up under Section 28, the pair said it was not until later in life that they began exploring their own queer history and culture in greater depth. In doing so, they discovered a vast world of books, magazines, comics, zines, films and art created by the LGBTQIA+ community that proved life-changing.
Posting on GoFundMe, Bug and Fin wrote: "We are completely blown away by the generosity and solidarity that has come our way. Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared the fundraiser and held us in the past week.
"Over the past eight years, Category Is Books has grown beyond being just a bookshop. It has become an active site of queer organising, mutual aid and community. We genuinely appreciate knowing that this space matters to so many of you, and that we’re not alone in wanting to protect it.
"From the bottom of our hearts: Thank you so much."
The pair went on to say that money raised beyond the target would go towards covering any unexpected costs associated with purchasing and installing the shutters. Any remaining funds will be redistributed to other fundraisers and queer groups that could benefit from the support.
While the shutters are now considered essential, the duo said they will miss having their windows fully visible, as they have helped the shop stay connected to the local community.
They wrote on the original GoFundMe: "From hand-painted quotes that ground us to lists of monthly community events, our window displays have offered a subtle way of sharing and making visible what matters to us and what is happening around us.
"We're excited to imagine what this change might make possible and how the shutters will eventually become an extension of the shop. We are genuinely excited to imagine it as a new canvas we can paint on together, opening up possibilities for how the shop continues to speak out into the street."
Category Is Books is one of only two LGBTQIA+ bookshops in Scotland.
For more information, visit www.categoryisbooks.com
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