The Queer Allure of The Gypsy House Cafe
The Gypsy House Café has been a well-known staple in Denver for years. It has housed many local artists, creative minds, and tarot card readers alike. Not to mention, they serve some of the best coffee within the Denver Metro Area.
The Gypsy House Café is notorious for attracting an eclectic, open, and socially responsible crowd that welcomes all walks of life and celebrates every person that walks through their doors. Those who know the place love it. I mean, what’s not to love? Fresh coffee, amazing food variety, love, and much laughter.
However, it all came crashing down a few years ago when the economy boomed and many of the local companies were forced out. Twin sisters Doniece and Dena Derani, who were the owners of Gypsy House Café, had no other option but to say goodbye to their beloved establishment.
At the time, The Gypsy House Café’ was located in Capitol Hill, off of 13th and Marion. The patrons of the café were left devastated, and to be honest, we didn’t have a safe haven for queer, poetic performers. Denver had grown up, and we had to grow up with it. A couple of months ago, I received a buzz that Gypsy House Café would possibly resume business. This meant that our once-beloved spot would open its doors to all of us queer folk, and I was delighted.
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So, I contacted the Derani sisters directly. I reached them, and they were happy to share the journey they’d taken to reclaim their space and the infectious, vivacious energy they elicited in Denver. After several attempts of trying to lay down roots in multiple cities, the sisters felt dispassionate about many of their options. As the years passed them and The Gypsy House café became nothing more than a distant memory, they started to realize there was still nothing quite like it.
“When Gypsy House closed, we were devastated, and it was our entire life,” Dena explained. “We didn’t realize we were going to reopen again. We searched for three years; we felt that it wasn’t going to happen. We searched in Louisiana, Miami, and Georgia for a new beginning, but our hearts are in Denver.”
Eventually, the sisters would accept the massive changes in Denver and return. That led them to accept their new, perfect Broadway location. Since then, they have officially announced they are back in business and back to hosting poetry nights.
The Gypsy House Café’ is urging all queer people to come and share their stories and experiences through the art of poetry and story telling. Activist, Denver socialite, tarot card priestess, poet and writer Lady Speech will conduct the hosting of the poetry series, “The Return of Speech.” The series will take place every second Friday of month from 7 to 9 p.m. Lady Speech, a known and celebrated member of the LGBTQ community, believes that all people should have a safe space to heal and share their truth with the village. She has always made it known that we’re all a part of a bigger family, and no one should be left out.
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“We’ve always had our doors open to the LGBT community, which is why we chose the Capitol Hill location for our first location,” she added. “We’ve had many queer people tell us that they feel safe here, and more importantly, they feel a true sense of community and home.”
It’s vital that all queer people feel included and safe, especially in spaces that aren’t specifically for LGBTQ individuals. It’s important to keep in mind that our creativity is no longer meant to be confined. Our lives matter. Our truth matters, and our stories matter. The Gypsy House Café is a living, breathing model of community and unity for all.
For more information on poetry nights, go to the event calendar on Facebook and come participate in steamy, earth-shattering, honest, heartbreaking stories. Who knows; you may garner the courage to get on stage and share your story.
