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Photo courtesy ProjectQAtlanta.com
PHILIP RAFSHOON
One of the most common steps when coming out of the closet in Atlanta is to go to Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse—call it an Outwrite-of-passage. Owner Philip Rafshoon has run the safe haven and community meeting spot at 10th and Piedmont going back to 1996.
That visibility has led Rafshoon to be one of the most recognizable figures in the city. He’s racked up several awards over the years for his service to the community and he’s looking forward to the future. He says, “My goal is to make Outwrite stronger than ever before and continue to update it for the digital age.”
How would you define your role in Atlanta’s LGBT community?
I have a great role in that I run a very visible community store and get to see and hear just about everyone in our diverse community on a regular basis. I work with a variety of business owners and community organizers to help make our community stronger.
What do you forecast for Atlanta’s LGBT community in the next 5 to 10 years?
I see the community respecting our diversity and working more closely together to create a united community that will be able to support those out of the closet and those coming out. I see continued growth for our community regardless of the economic and political climate.
We learn from all our experiences, both good and bad. Tell us about a negative life experience you’ve had that you learned a valuable lesson from.
During my senior year at Georgia Tech, my apartment burned and I lost everything that I owned. I managed, that semester, to get better grades than ever and work a full time job. I learned perseverance and that I worked best under pressure.
How has being LGBT shaped your outlook on life?
It has given me the ability to not be boxed in by other’s expectations and to be able to think outside the box on virtually everything.
Tell us a little more about yourself. What are your hobbies? What are your goals?
I like to read, listen to music, watch movies, dance, bike, run, and hang out with friends & family. My goal is to make Outwrite stronger than ever before and continue to update it for the digital age. I have a great partner of fifteen years and I hope to get more time off and travel some to places that we haven’t been.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the one book you would want with you?
My favorite book as a kid was Harold & the Purple Crayon. With his purple crayon, this kid could draw his way out of anything…and could probably figure out a way to get off of the island.
