Tatiana Castro expected two things when she moved to Savannah from Huntington, West Virgina: more gluten-free options and more queer spaces.
The Third Space Collective, a queer bookshop and event venue, dedicated to creating space for gathering, community and resources seeks to be that space. Castro, a burlesque dancer among other things in Savannah, she and the other burlesque troops in Savannah and the surrounding areas are trying to plan a show or charity performance to raise money for both the Collective and First City Pride.
Alex Perry, who has plans to open the space in March, said their vision for the space is to also be a community hub, a co-working space and a gender-affirming care closet with access to binders, packers, makeup and more.
Perry also owns The Tiniest Bookshop, a 125 square-foot bookstore on River Street, the Beach Read Bookstore on Tybee Island and organizes Dyke Nights, which are events focusing on and centering lesbians.
“When I started the book shop a few years ago, one of my main priorities was to be able to offer harm reduction to the community, and as we’ve grown, I’ve been able to offer more resources,” Perry said. “And as I’ve started hosting Dyke Nights as well, I’ve realized that the community is really coming out, and they’re really looking for spaces that feel safe for them here in Savannah.”