The Westchester LGBTQ+ History Project

As the married parents of three young children who have been together for 20 years (including several years living abroad), Alana and Rebecca Skyhart have taken on much of their lives together. Recently, they embarked on a new adventure.

Through raising their kids together, the two realized how difficult it could be to find books that reflected their household. A mutual love of reading and passion for LGBTQ+ representation led them to the decision to become partners not only in life, but also in business. In February 2022, the Westchester-based couple founded Be Yourself Bookshop, a business that sells LGBTQ+ books for all ages through an online store and pop-up events.

In this interview with the Westchester LGBTQ+ History Project, the two discuss the role LGBTQ+ literature plays in their lives, bookmobile ambitions, and their own upbringings in a time with far less LGBTQ+ representation.

“One of the main reasons we started it, and why I started my parenting blog as well, was because we always had to search for queer inclusion, queer families, to show our kids. And so we kind of just created a space where you can just easily find everything.”

Rebecca Skyhart

To view the full transcript of this interview, click here.