And as our community and political fight matures - from gay liberation in the 1970s to full marriage equality in the 2010s - more gay men and lesbians are finding themselves farther away from the gayborhood and in suburbs raising families. New mobile apps with geolocation services allow gay men the ability to find one another for dates and relationships without ever leaving the couch. The city has rapidly become more accessible and inclusive, and now the most unabashed same-sex couples can hold hands walking through Larimer Square and have dinner in Wash Park as they can in the traditional safe haven of Capitol Hill. Within the last five years Denver’s gay and lesbian culture hasn’t seen this much cultural upheaval since the AIDS epidemic when a generation of leaders and community members died.
It’s an observation repeated from a half-dozen gay bar managers and owners, but one I hadn’t been expecting given the rapid cultural changes in the LGBT community, especially for a skeptic like me. Nelms and I find a spot inside away from the Saturday congregation. One appears to be celebrating a birthday. The crowd is a mix of off duty employees, regulars, a few pockets of friends. It’s a warm October afternoon, the bar is offering a $5 beer bust. The next afternoon I find Charlie’s General Manager John Nelms on the patio.
