New Omaha business Queerarchy hopes to create a place to belong and educate
A group of kids, some with lime green and red balloons bobbing up and down, sat on a rug in front of Rowena Bennett for story time.
As the kids squirmed and settled in, Bennett made introductions:
“My name is Rowena, and I use she/they pronouns so when you don’t say my name, you can say ‘she’ or ‘they,'” Bennett told the kids.
Then Bennett started reading the book in their hand, “Pinapel & Friends. Who are they?”
The book, which Bennett read on Thursday evening, was the catalyst behind Queerarchy, a newly opened store inside Hot Shops, a nonprofit art center located north of downtown Omaha.
The mission of Queerarchy is to design unique items “as powerful symbols that inspire happiness so the queer community can live their lives freely without fear or shame.”
People are also reading…
Bennett, with a smile on their face, said the name of the store comes from a desire to cause some anarchy and be queer-focused.

Queerarchy is a new business in north downtown Omaha focused on supporting the queer community and its’ allies.
Bennett wrote, illustrated and self-published the book about “Pinapel & Friends.” They also designed the T-shirts, tote bags and other merchandise inside the new store.
In the book, Pinapel, who uses the pronouns they/them, moves to a new neighborhood and the neighbors are excited to meet a new friend. Bennett said the book also includes a resource guide for parents and educators to learn more about the use of gender pronouns, gender expression and how to talk about it with children.
About 10 years ago, Bennett began drawing the characters that would become “Pinapel & Friends.” The characters started as stick figures, but they were always in pots like plants.
“I figured we were like plants and all plants are different and there’s a certain way that we need to treat each of them special for them to thrive,” Bennett said.

A balloon with the message “Be Brave” featuring a character from Bennett’s book floats on opening night for Queerarchy.
Over the years, the characters and their world developed. Bennett wanted the characters to be diverse so in addition to being queer, one character uses a wheelchair, another is visually impaired, another has a cochlear implant, another has Down syndrome and another has autism.
“I can’t represent everyone within my nine characters, but I wanted them to be as inclusive as possible and to create representation,” Bennett said.
“Representation matters. When you don’t see people who look like you, and act like you or just have different little similarities with you, it makes you feel like you don’t exist and that you are alone. And I want people to know, you’re not alone.”

Rowena Bennett reads their book “Pinaple and Friends. Who are they?” on opening night for Queerarchy on Thursday. The book was the catalyst behind the store inside Hot Shops, a nonprofit art center north of downtown Omaha.
What age group is the Bennett’s book for?
The book can be a bridge to open up a conversation in a non-confrontational way, they said.
Queerarchy’s hours are listed on the store’s Instagram page. The walls of the store are bright and colorful. T-shirts hanging on the wall say “Love Your Self.” The store sells other T-shirts that say “Respect the Pronoun.”
“You don’t have to love me,” Bennett said. “You don’t have to say ‘I agree with you.’ But respect me. Respect each other. And just let people be themselves.”
Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2023

Swimmers take off in the boys 400 yard freestyle relay in the NSAA state swimming championship finals in Lincoln on Saturday.

Snow still covers fields as the sun starts to set near Wynot, Nebraska on Thursday.

Sutherland’s Grady Dempcy is introduced before he takes on David City Aquinas’s Grady Romshek for the Class D during the state final 106 pound match on Saturday.

Millard South’s Miles Anderson, left, walks away after pinning Lincoln East’s Joshua Shaner during the Class A state final 126 pound match on Saturday.

Omaha’s Ty Mueller gets a first-half shot past Colorado College goalie Kaidan Mbereko’s left hand in the first period to put UNO up 1-0 on Friday. Also on the play is Colorado College’s Noah Laba, top right, and Nicklas Andrews, bottom left.

Maria Sosa teaches a Folklórico class at the Hispanic Arts Center inside the former Center Theater located at 3504 Center Street on Tuesday.

A pedestrian crosses east on 13th Street at Harney Street during a winter storm on Thursday.

Wisner-Pilger fans cheer on a wrestler in the NSAA State Wrestling championships in Omaha on Thursday.

A pedestrian crosses west on 17th Street at Douglas Street in the rain on Tuesday.

Haley Quall, right, and Lisa Mueller prepare flower arrangements for Valentine’s Day in the greenhouse at Janousek Florist in Omaha on Monday. The family-owned florist expects to have about 700 orders for the holiday.

Creighton’s Shereef Mitchell (4) walks off the court with head coach Greg McDermott following the UConn vs. Creighton men’s basketball game in Omaha on Saturday. Creighton won the game 56-53.

Victor Benjamin shapes clay in his hand as he works on a sculpture of Chief Big Elk at the KANEKO on Wednesday.

People watch as Victor Benjamin works on a sculpture of Chief Big Elk at the KANEKO on Wednesday. It will eventually be placed at the newly renovated Lewis & Clark Landing at The RiverFront.

Victor Benjamin works on a sculpture of Chief Big Elk at the KANEKO on Wednesday. It will eventually be placed at the newly renovated Lewis & Clark Landing at The RiverFront.

Creighton’s Lauren Jensen dribbles the ball in the first half against St. John’s on Saturday.

Creighton’s Morgan Maly and her team celebrate a second-half three-point basket against St. John’s on Saturday.

Employees and customers retrieve their belongings a day after they fled a Target at 17810 West Center Road after someone walked in and started firing an assault rifle. Omaha police shot and killed the suspect.

Omaha Zoo CEO Luis Padilla announces an update to the Hubbard Orangutan Forrest on Friday.

Sarah Nocita hugs her son, Michael Baker, as they move into a new place in northwest Omaha on Thursday. They were tenants of the Legacy Crossing Apartments before being forced to move after the City of Omaha shut down the complex in December.