The no-frills places frequented by a cast of regulars were supplanted by wine bars, taprooms and full-service restaurants that upped their brews and spirits game, Nielsen researchers told CNN in 2015. Mostly, it's been the local watering holes that have run dry. There are far fewer bars of all types now than before. The trend of bars going dark isn't unique to lesbian, gay or other LGBTQ+ establishments. "We really, as regulars, embrace that motto and that mantra, so that anybody that walks through here feels welcome." "'If you don't have a home, you do at Frankie's'" Tracey "Ginger" Campbell, 35, a Frankie's regular, said, noting the bar's catchphrase. It's also been good for business later this year, Frankie's is slated to move to a building owned by the Harrises and designed specifically for its weekly events. This change is evident in the approach taken by Ann and Tracey Harris, the owners of Frankie's, who took over a former lesbian bar they frequented (a bar where, they joke, they were two of five customers left) and converted it into a lesbian-owned bar that's welcome to everyone under the LGBTQ+ umbrella and their allies. "In a way, we're also recognizing that the community is changing," said Elina Street, who along with Erica Rose, are the filmmakers behind the project.
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The Project takes an inclusive approach to the definition of "lesbian bar." The label, according to the filmmakers, extends to places that prioritize "creating space for people of marginalized genders," including non-binary and trans folks.
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Now Oklahoma's remaining lesbian-centric establishments - Frankie's, Alibi's and the Yellow Brick Road in Tulsa - are three of the 21 bars at the center of The Lesbian Bar Project's efforts. "People saw me for who I really was, and there was no judgment," Black, now 41, told CNN Business as she sat in Apothecary 39, a cocktail bar located in the city's LGBTQ+ district.īut recently she's noticed her queer and lesbian peers are pulled more toward downtown hot spots and less toward explicitly LGBTQ+ establishments - particularly the lesbian bars. In the late-1990s, when Becky Black first stepped foot in the now-closed Oklahoma City LGBTQ+ 16+ club Wreck Room, the then-17-year-old felt a mix of shock and awe, but ultimately a sense of tranquility.Īmidst the sparkles, the glitter, the makeup, and the lights, feelings of truth, acceptance and authenticity billowed up for the young, closeted lesbian who grew up sheltered and in a very religious family. As Pride Month draws to a close, the project is in the final hours of a fundraiser for what organizers believe are the 21 remaining lesbian bars in the nation. One recent effort is the Lesbian Bar Project, a documentary film and campaign that's gained the backing of Jägermeister and "Orange is the New Black" actress Lea DeLaria.
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The plight of the lesbian bar has been brought front and center this Pride Month as movements are afoot to preserve and grow them. Now it has only about two dozen left in operation. In the 1980s, the US was home to more than 200 lesbian bars. The number of lesbian bars has dropped precipitously over the past 40 years. "This is a place where people can go and feel safe," Ann Harris said.įrankie's is among a rare breed of establishments, and some say it's an endangered species. And that's by design: It was created to be so much more than your everyday neighborhood bar and, especially, your everyday lesbian bar. Welcome to Frankie's in Oklahoma City, a local haunt where there's a little something for everyone.
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A cadre of queens had the patrons howling. On Friday, the parking lot was packed and the interior of Frankie's was awash in neon and halogen. In addition to weekly drag shows, music and other events, once a month, the Hootenanny Harlots drag troupe put on a comedy show that's a little bit country and a little bit, well, just bawdy enough that some performances aren't suitable to print. They shoot the breeze, fling back a couple of shots, and spout off lyrics ("get on your bikes and ride!") to accompany the tunes playing overhead.Ĭome back tomorrow night, they say, because it should be a hoot - a "Hootenanny," to be precise. It's just about closing time on Thursday in early June and the regulars are catching up and winding down after a busy night of darts league.