In the famous bullfighting rings of Spain, Sidney Franklin was renowned as “El Torero de la Torah,” or the “ Bullfighter of the Torah.”

Mr. Franklin, who died in 1976 when he was 72, was the first Jewish-American to reach the elite status of “matador” in Spanish bullfighting circles.

He was also gay.

His sexual identity was an open secret among those who knew him, but remained unknown to the public.