BBC News
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image copyrightGay s the Word/ Instagarm
image captionGay s the Word co-founders Peter Dorey (left) and Ernest Hole outside the store in London the day it opened in 1979
A pioneering shop owner who opened the UK s first gay book store has died at the age of 73.
Peter Dorey, who was among a small group of gay activists, opened Gay s The Word in Bloomsbury in central London in 1979.
The shop acted as a safe place for LGBTQ+ communities during a period of oppression and discrimination.
Mr Dorey, who was raised in Harrow, died on Friday following years of poor health, his family confirmed.