The Exit
Other Names: Exit 21, Sappho's
Address: 2028 Sheldon Avenue
Founded: Unsure. Was open by 1966 or 1967. Started serving gay customers after hours in 1968.
Closed: Last mention found is 1991 in Out Front.
One of the first gay bars in Colorado Springs. It started serving gay customers in 1968. Frequently used as a venue for community events. [1]
History
In 1968, Joe Brady approached the owner of Exit 21, a non-gay bar, about keeping the bar open later for gay patrons, according to the June, 1982 issue of GAYSPEAK. Joe helped keep it open after hours. By 1969, the establishment became an all-gay bar. [2]
In 1975, the bar became an all-women's bar called "Sappho's," but returned to being a mixed gender bar and named The Exit soon after. [2:1]
Notable People
- Ricky Morris was a bartender
Photos
*Photo from The Exit's Mr. Jockey Shorts contest in the 1970s. The winner received a pair of their very own short shorts. Credit: History Colorado
Photo of the building in 2026, from Google Maps streetview
Questions
-
- Yes, Exit 21 became The Exit, according to an interview with Joe Brady in Gayspeak.
References
“Gayspeak, June 1988.” Pikes Peak Gay Community Center, 11 June 1988, Pikes Peak Library District Special Collections, 0461 Pride Center Box 5, Folder 9. ↩︎
Pikes Peak Gay Community Center. “Gayspeak, Vol. 4, No. 6.” Newsletter. Colorado Springs, CO, June 1982. PPLD Digital Collections. https://digitalcollections.ppld.org/nodes/view/998838. ↩︎ ↩︎
History Colorado. Mr. Jockey Shorts Contest. 1979 1970, History Colorado Collection, 2022.6.5, https://www.historypin.org/en/person/120067/explore/pin/1189168. Photograph. ↩︎