COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The founders of a new LGBTQ+ space in Colorado Springs have a bold vision. A combination coffee shop/bar with local artwork on display, classes and social gatherings are all in the works.

But the dream boils down to one word: Pink.

The Pink House — the hopeful spot’s future name — is the brain-child of four Colorado Springs women: Kayla Johnson, Nova Suede, Turner Black and Brittany Carl. The women all met through mutual friends while Black and Carl were living in a Victorian mansion that had been split into five individual apartments. 

“The need just comes from getting back to the purpose of community-based spaces and being able to bring people within the community together,” Suede said. “We want to let people build relationships of all kinds.”

The four hope to create a social gathering spot that doesn’t revolve around alcohol, where finding community doesn’t require spending money and where guests don’t have to look over their shoulders before holding hands with a same-gendered partner.

The outside of the downtown Colorado Springs mansion where the group drew its inspiration from is painted pink, and the five housemates who live there — all queer women — decked out the interior with bright pink walls, posters and rooms filled with puzzles and games. The original five still live in the home.

Over time, Black and Carl formed a group message with others called “The Big Pink House” when it was clear their home had become a gathering spot for other queer women and nonbinary people in the area.

“We’ve all seen those Christian coffee shops with boring white walls and maybe one succulent,” said Black on why they named their new commercial location after the Victorian home where it all started. 

“We want the opposite of that. Lots of pink. Lots of color,” she said.

Because the space’s funds have all come from GoFundMe donations, the group of founders said they are not sure when its opening could come, though they’ve looked at spaces for rent near Colorado College and have their eyes on a few buildings.

As of April 15, the group’s GoFundMe had $3,600. Black said hitting the $4,000 mark would likely cover their first month of operating costs, and the founders plan to take it one day at a time after that.

One consideration is opening the shop close to ICONS — an LGBTQ+ cocktail lounge known for its singing bartenders and upscale environment. 

ICONS owners John Wolfe and Joshua Franklin hope for a “gay-bourhood” reminiscent of those in larger cities, with blocks of queer businesses.

Black said Monday that the group has submitted two letters of intent, with their first choice on East Boulder Street, the northern tip of Colorado Springs’ downtown. If the owners get the green light for that property, they hope it can be one of the first bricks laid in Colorado Springs’ future LGBTQ+ district.

“We want a sustainable interconnected community of all different types of LGBTQ places,” Black said. “Bars, dance spaces, health centers, comedy venues.”

Johnson, who moved to Colorado Springs when she was 11, said she felt isolated as one of two openly LGBTQ+ people at Mesa Ridge High School. She hopes The Pink House can bring support and unity she felt she always lacked.

“I think it's just so important to have other people who you can relate to and who you can talk about these things with, because your straight friends won't always understand what it feels like or sometimes they just don’t care as much,” Johnson said.

While in high school, Johnson said she connected with others like her online but had no one to move through school with, which left her feeling deeply isolated. The Pink House is explicit in its support for LGBTQ+ children, and its founders said they want to provide programming for both youth and adults.

“I think creating a third space for children is very important, because I think America as a whole has really damaged our third spaces,” Suede said. “Not only for children but for everyone.”

Carl, who also grew up in Colorado Springs, said part of The Pink House’s goal is to change attitudes about what Colorado Springs is and who is welcome there.

Carl says the group wants to offer a gathering place that isn't centered around spending money or drinking alcohol.
Photo: Alison Berg, Rocky Mountain PBS

“There aren’t a lot of places around town like this,” Carl said. “But we know the need is there because we all found each other somehow.”

Colorado Springs has a checkered past with its LGBQT+ community. Though its voting patterns have shifted as the city has grown, Colorado’s second-largest city has historically been conservative. Between its five military bases and national organizations such as Focus on the Family and The Navigators — two organizations that have been vocal against LGBTQ+ rights — headquartering themselves in town, the city garnered a reputation as one that was unsafe for LGBTQ+ people.

The Pink House founders said the shooting at Club Q, one of the city’s two gay bars, that left five people dead brought more concerns about safety in their city.

“It can definitely be scary to be yourself sometimes,” Johnson said. The group plans to have some sort of full-time security, with added security for larger events.

While the house will eventually include a bar, its founders are clear in their marketing that this is a communal gathering space with alcohol — not a bar with a gathering space.

“Most of the places to hangout around town are centered around drinking,” Carl said. “We want to offer something where you can just come and hangout, no drinking necessary.”

Substance abuse rates among the LGBTQ+ community are about 15% higher than the general population. But throughout the last five years, more LGBTQ+ people have ditched alcohol and drugs, and third spaces have followed suit.

“Our method of drinks might be that you order a drink without alcohol, and then you have the option to add a shot. Not the other way around,” Black said. “Our biggest thing is making this accessible for all people.”

The group hopes their next step is signing a lease after hitting their $4,000 mark. Eventually, Black said, they hope to raise one million dollars and purchase their own building.

“We know that sounds like a big dream,” Black said. “But we think it’s reasonable and we hope others do, too.”

Alison Berg is a reporter at Rocky Mountain PBS. Alisonberg@rmpbs.org.

Note: The lead image for this story was edited to obscure profanity.