DENVER — The large old mansions in the heart of downtown Denver hold more stories than we'll ever know. But behind the bricks of certain homes were hidden havens for those in the LGBTQ+ community.
"Bachelor's Row and the boarding houses they're in started in about the 1930s when they started to turn those mansions into multi-unit apartments," said David Duffield, the coordinator for the Colorado LGBTQ History Project.
It was a time in Denver's history when there was incredible risk to just be yourself in public.
"Your career, your life, your livelihood, your reputation, your safety, your freedom," said Duffield. "There was a law that said, and I quote, it was illegal for any two people who are unmarried to live together."
The single-bedroom apartments in Capitol Hill would become some of the few safe places for the queer community.
"Offered safety, camaraderie, community and access to really just queer life," said Duffield.
Those homes included areas like modern-day Poets Row on Sherman Street and one of the most visited homes in the city, The Molly Brown House.After the Titanic's most famous survivor had already passed away, but before the home became a museum of her legacy, it was owned by Art Leisenring.
After speaking with Leisenring's family, the museum learned an untold story about the house.
"We learned that Art ran this home as a boarding house for men only. What that meant was, this was a safe Capitol Hill space for someone who identified as gay to live in the 1960s," said Andrea Malcomb, museum director for the Molly Brown House.
Leisenring rented out rooms to gay couples, all while preserving the home and eventually selling it to the then-newly created nonprofit Historic Denver.
Stories that highlight the resiliency of the early LGBTQ+ community in Denver are still being uncovered.
"We're looking and cross-referencing these documents in a way where they purposely were a little hidden before, but with kind of a new way of looking and doing research we can uncover those histories," said Alison Salutz, director of community programs for Historic Denver.
Local historians believe there are more stories out there waiting to be shared.
"They create through their stories and their voices, and the act of memorialization, something which is greater than themselves. They create legacy by naming those important places," said Duffield.
Duffield and Salutz partner together on Historic Denver Walking Tours, including one that offers a deep dive into the history of Bachelor's Row and other queer safe spaces in early Denver. Information about the Private Spaces: Queer Capitol Hill Walking Tour and other events hosted by Historic Denver being held for Pride Month can be found by clicking here.
