Tommy Gehling
Background
Tommy Gehling was one of the owners of the Hide 'n' Seek, alongside co-owner and partner Joe Brady. [2] He didn't originally plan to get involved in the bar scene, as he had a background in journalism and English. He still managed to explore his passion for the arts by editing Colorado Gay Magazine. [3]
He passed away from pneumonia at the age of 59 in 2003. [1:1]
Tommy met Joe Brady at a gay bar in 1969. They both purchased the Colorado Grill in 1972, which would become the original Hide 'n' Seek. [1:2]
He was a beloved member of the community. His mother said that he would attend every funeral of those who passed in the local gay community. [1:3]
Questions
References
Patrons of gay bar gather to honor life of co-founder: Thomas Gehling 1944 | 2004 (2003-08-14). PPLD Digital Collections, accessed 01/08/2026, https://digitalcollections.ppld.org/nodes/view/664679 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
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. ↩︎