Gloria Frankel

Gloria Frankel (1940–2007) was an LGBTQ rights advocate. She opened the first LGBTQ club in South Bend, Indiana in 1971 called the Seahorse Cabaret. Frankel was a leader of LGBTQ justice in South Bend, IN.

Activism During the 1970s Frankel led the Michiana Lambda Society events that centered on LGBTQ Civil Rights and worked to grow the sense of community among LGBTQ people in South Bend.

The 1970s Frankel spread information about her bar through word of mouth and public advertising. She worked to included gay men, lesbians, as well as transgender people. Frankel and the bar combated police pressure and even challenged the city of South Bend on the criminalization of same-sex dancing.

After the Lambda Legal Non-Profit Organization, an organization centered on legal justice of LGBTQ people, was founded in 1973, the Michiana chapter was established. Frankel actively contributed to the Lambda society by hosting events at the Seahorse and providing monetary support. In 1982 at a press briefing, Reagan's Press Secretary Larry Speakes joked about the disease and said that no one in the White House knew anything about it. Reagan did not publicly speak about AIDS until 1985, and did not address it fully until 1987 after 20,849 people had died.

The Seahorse Cabaret In smaller cities across America, bars acted as a hub for the LGBTQ community. The Seahorse increased visibility in the city by spreading flyers to advertise events and shows.

In the early 1980s, the Seahorse was nearly destroyed by arsonists. However, Frankel was able to reopen in 10 days with the help of members in the LGBTQ community.

Police The police force in South Bend, IN routinely raided the Seahorse throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and even into the 1990s. Police presence was also very common at the bar. LGBTQ oral history interviews conducted by Katie M. Lee revealed that it was routine for the police to harass and intimidate drag performers. Regardless of pressure of law enforcement, the Seahorse served as a model for future LGBTQ bars that opened in the area throughout the years following the bar's establishment.