Mosaics: Provo’s Only Queer Bookstore

Tara Lipsyncki is a terrible capitalist. As a drag queen and owner of Mosaics Community Bookstore & Venue in Provo, their self-proclaimed bleeding heart will forever put people ahead of profit, and not always without personal consequence.

The brainchild of Lipsyncki, Mosaics is much more than a shop selling wares. Their mission zeroes in on “elevating the voices of queer, BIPOC, non-LDS and other marginalized groups in Utah.”

It starts in a name, one that outlines their mission succinctly. Mosaics Community Bookstore & Venue is, first and foremost, a community space—safe to anyone that is othered. It is a space of authenticity, the definition of which is specific to each individual.

“It’s tough to convince people we’re a safe space when we are literally receiving bomb threats.” 

As a bookstore, Mosaics is meant to educate, enlighten and provide escape. Books are donated and purchasable through a pay-what-you-can model, with a suggested price of $4. Staff, however, have been known and even encouraged to donate a book to a patron when it is clearly an unaffordable resource for them.

Finally, as the name suggests, Mosaics is a venue­—unlike any other in Utah County. With regular events rotating on their calendar, such as all-ages drag shows and childrens’ story times, the space acts as a full safe room with lock-down capabilities and exit strategies.

“It’s tough to convince people we’re a safe space when we are literally receiving bomb threats,” Lipsyncki says, referring to an incident that occurred in April. They continue, “We do everything to protect those who walk through our doors.”

The shop is innocuously—and quite intentionally—tucked away in the corner of an unassuming strip mall in Provo, a stone’s throw from the BYU campus. From the outside, it is not apparent that the shop is inhabited at all, with shades often drawn, and a simple vinyl sign strung up atop the facade. Once the threshold is crossed, however, the world is transformed from drab black-and-white into a burst of color, à la the journey from Kansas to Oz.

“We do everything to protect those who walk through our doors.”

White shelves with books of all kinds are set and staged amongst pieces of thrifted, gifted and collected art. In the center of the space are two church pews with mustard yellow fabric covering the beaten-down cotton batting within. The banned books pointedly rest upon the shelves next to the pews, a juxtaposition that many patrons relate to.

“We’ve had some come in with their head entirely wrapped in a scarf so no one could see them, and then transform into someone entirely different once they’re safely within the walls of the shop,” Lipsyncki says. “This is a space where they can be themselves—without worrying about an honor code.”

While Mosaics’ mission is to elevate voices, Lipsyncki and their husband Sean quickly saw that the community was seeking quieter events. As a teenager, Sean found his first safe space amongst other introverted gamers, those less likely to go to the bars or clubs to express themselves. When it was clear the community echoed Sean’s feelings, Gayme Night on Fridays was born. With space for board games, Magic: The Gathering and D&D campaigns, this event quickly became Mosaics’ most-attended.

Devout believers in freedom of religion, Lipsyncki and Sean are both ordained ministers in the Church of Fabulosity, founded by Minister La La. This 501(c)(3) federally-sanctioned religion believes in “celebrating unique human experiences and the divine fabulousness that resides in each of us.” Their participation as ministers allows many of their events the same government sanction all religions are granted, adding a layer of security and mitigating the discomfort patrons may feel.

“This is a space where they can be themselves—without worrying about an honor code.” 

Mosaics Community Bookstore & Venue is, in the end, simple to define: a one-stop shopping experience, an event-driven venue and, most importantly, a safe space, offering community and connection to marginalized people of any sort. And in Utah County, that’s not easy to come by.

For more information about Mosaics Community Bookstore & Venue and to view their full schedule of events, follow them on Instagram at @mosaics.utah or visit mosaicsutah.com.

Read more from the LGBTQ+ Pride issue:
Friends, Allies and Mentors: Creating LGBTQ+ Inclusive Schools
Bold & Beautiful: Matrons of Mayhem