Books are powerful tools, transformative of their power to broaden minds, share the experiences of individuals you may never come across otherwise, and open up your eyes to the chances of the world. It’s these beliefs which might be foundational to Aesop’s annual pride initiative – the Queer Library. Returning to London for a 3rd yr in a row, Aesop’s Queer Library sees the skincare brand clear the products from chosen stores around the globe and fill the shelves as a substitute with books by LGBTQ+ authors and allies.

Within the UK, ranging from June 29 until July 2, visitors can head right down to Aesop’s Soho store on Lexington Street in London where they may find queer books with a give attention to texts once forgotten amid cultural shifts and evolving prejudices. The books will probably be completely free with no purchase required, because, as Aesop says, the initiative is a celebration not a profitable endeavour.

Once more, the brand has purchased the books from legendary London queer bookstore Gay’s the Word, in addition to three recent partners: Pilot Press, a non-profit imprint specialising in contemporary and historic queer art and writing; Fourteen Poems, a London-based triannual queer poetry journal; and Cipher Press, an independent publisher of fiction and non-fiction by queer and trans-identifying writers.

“We unfortunately still live in a society where the LGBTQIA2S+ community experiences unprecedented levels of discrimination, oppression and violence,” Nelson Derry, Aesop’s head of culture, diversity, equity and inclusion, told Dazed last yr. “There also continues to be an increase in hate crimes and anti-trans laws, and due to this fact we’ve chosen to amplify BIPOC trans voices throughout the LGBTQ+ community in solidarity, recognising that those of color and trans face compounded adversities as they navigate multiple layers of oppression.”

This yr, Aesop has also prolonged the library to the digital realm through a collaboration with A Vibe Called Tech. Excerpts from two of the historical queer texts featured within the library will probably be available to read online: A Place for Us by Isabel Miller (1969) which tells a young story of a lesbian relationship set in early Nineteenth-century Latest England; and Escape to an Autumn Pavement by Andew Salkey (1960) which explores sexuality in Caribbean culture against the backdrop of a changing London.

Amid a growing boycotting campaign by the American right against any company that aligns itself with LGBTQ+ people, it’s essential that brands step up, show up and support the community this Pride season, and all yr around.