TAMPA, Fla. — Alsace Walentine loves books. She has since she was a child.
“Books were where I could escape and where I could find new worlds,” said Walentine.
It’s no surprise that she opened Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg with her wife.
“It is a lot of labor, and it’s all love,” said Walentine.
She hopes you feel that love when you walk inside.
“You know, people walk in here all the time and say, oh my gosh, I love the vibe in here. I feel relaxed. I feel welcome,” said Walentine.
Walentine and her wife specifically chose to move to St. Petersburg and open a business there because of its reputation for inclusivity.
“It’s really special because we host lots of book clubs. We host lots of author events so people gather. Tons of people gather at one time in this space and we see people make relationships and make connections and get support. We see people who’ve never seen their stories being told before being told here. And then made real by meeting other people who also live those stories. So it’s been a total honor to hold a space that attracts like-minded people,” said Walentine.
She’d like to see even more inclusion.
“It’s very important to support other queer-owned businesses, to support this community, to allow and for people to know that there is a safe space to go to be themselves,” said Walentine.
That inclusion in St. Petersburg is what more business owners in Tampa want to see, too.
“It’s super important that the message gets to the community in general, but to LGBT businesses, that this is a safe place to do business,” said Rene Cantu, President & CEO of the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
He believes Tampa’s Pride celebration is the perfect time to highlight the business inclusion efforts across all of our communities.
“We are a viable business community that helps the community of Tampa Bay really thrive,” Cantu.
He’s part of a push to spearhead LGBT inclusion in the business space in the Tampa area and beyond.
He will be at Tampa Pride’s diversity parade this weekend, sharing that message.
“We want to provide a space where companies feel comfortable and small businesses feel comfortable to provide their service or to sell their products. We want to make sure that they are supported and that they know that the LGBT community at large is going to be a supportive part of their consumer base," said Cantu.
“When you open your mind, when you meet people who are queer, you will learn that the world is broad and diverse, and it makes it more exciting and more interesting and more creative. You will be a happier person to have broadened your experience,” said Walentine.
