CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Longtime Boston/Cambridge-area adult store Hubba Hubba! has put out a call via GoFundMe for community support in the face of several setbacks, including rapidly changing market conditions which a store representative said had been effected by “city structure changes, tariffs, loss of tourists and international students, rising costs and, surprisingly, climate change.”
A local institution since 1978, the woman-owned, sex-positive retail storefront has been beset with rent and tax payments in arrears, emergency repairs from ongoing water damage caused by nearby reconstruction, as well as continued disputes with the store’s landlord, despite a signed lease that is effective through 2029.
“Hubba Hubba! is not a ‘sex store.' Hubba is, and have always been, an alternative store that also sells sexual health products, just like many mainstream stores like Target, CVS, or many department stores—except we are knowledgeable (and opinionated) and care about you and what you put on and in your body,” the representative said.
“Second, if you don’t support choice, you won’t have choice. Soon, your only option for buying products will be monopolies who will control what you see and what price you pay. Popular misconceptions about the store are that we are not needed unless you are kinky or until your relationship is on the rocks, are recently single or enter menopause or have any other health condition. Or a loved one is LGBTQIA+—or any myriad of reasons that people enter the store with real questions and real issues that they either haven’t gotten sufficient answers from the medical community or don’t feel comfortable discussing.
“But the truth is that we are here for everyone. Every day - welcoming and accepting. Sometimes just to answer a question. Sometimes with sizes others don’t carry. Or styles not available anywhere else. Sometimes, we are just the only place left in the city.
"Now, more than ever, our mission is vital. We are one of the last stores of our ilk still standing, and unique in our mix, the communities we serve, and our ability to evolve. There are obviously more pressing issues in the world than keeping a store like ours open but 'think global, act local' has always been one of Hubba Hubba’s guiding mantras. Keeping sexual health education, LGBTQIA+ equity, safe spaces, and community-focused, local business operating helps keep our democracy strong.
“Please, help us keep the conversation going as we go through this rough patch,” the representative concluded.
Hubba Hubba!’s MJ Pullins, who has owned the store since 2019, said in the GoFundMe campaign’s information, “When I walked out of my marriage from a world-class cancer researcher around this time 10 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined that I would have the opportunity to give back ... the immense scientific knowledge I had picked up. I took my half of the proceeds from our co-owned house and bought Hubba after the previous owner passed so that this iconic store could live on.
“Since then, I have sunk all my savings, my retirement, and often go without paychecks to keep the business running. My family has contributed all they can. I have maxed out my credit cards and taken high-interest loans to keep the business afloat through COVID and beyond. I have made many mistakes along the way, but I have tried to learn and grow as a person. I truly believe that we are finally finding our groove,” Pullin said.
Initiatives that Hubba Hubba! would like to implement include:
The store’s GoFundMe campaign is seeking donations to help keep the store open, while also making repairs to Hubba Hubba!’s years-long storefront community space. As of this writing, more than $6,500 out of a goal of $8,000 has been reached.
For more on the 48-year history of Hubba Hubba!, visit the store’s website.
