Ex-Rep. Barney Frank, gay trailblazer, prais Hoe passage of same-sex marriage bill

Former Rep. Barney Frank, the first member of Congrs to voluntarily e out as gay, attend Thursday’s historic Hoe vote to protect same-sex and terracial marriage and praised legislators for their work. * barney frank gay *

[I cid then] that while I would not e out publicly, but I would be very supportive of gay rights.

And to the then-lear of the gay rights movement Ameri, a guy name Steve Enan. He said, ‘Here’s the problem—I’m tryg to get people to sponsor gay rights bills all the legislatur, and I’ve been braggg about how many straight people I have supportg the bills. Every year I fd out another one is gay.

In 1987, you beme the first Congrsman to choose to publicly e out as gay. Before I me out, was not a great secret that I was gay. Unrstandably, gay people who knew I was gog to e out were very enthed.

RERD 13 CONGRS MEMBERS INTIFY AS GAY, LBIAN OR BISEXUAL

The 118th U.S. Congrs set a historil mark wh a rerd 13 members who intify as gay, lbian or bisexual. * barney frank gay *

’ They were aaid that if I me out, my fluence would be dimished every area but gay rights. And advanced my advocy of gay rights. It’s one thg for me as a ‘straight person’ to ask my lleagu to vote for gay rights when they’d say was polilly difficult.

You uld not be an [openly gay] immigrant to Ameri. I was a participant Congrs on gettg rid of laws on the books that discrimated agast gay people.

BARNEY FRANK IS THE FIRST MARRIED, OPENLY GAY CONGRSMAN

Barney Frank beme the first stg member of Congrs to enter to a same sex marriage on Saturday eveng. Frank married Jim Ready, who he's been wh sce 2007, and The New York Tim gave them the full nuptial treatment. Frank was also the first Congrsman to openly e out as a gay man 1987. * barney frank gay *

From the begng of what was lled [the gay rights movement], until well to the ‘90s, there wasn’t much [mastream] nversatn about trans people.

More gay and lbian people ially me out than did transgenr people.

I thk we are now, regards to transgenr people, where we were wh regard to gay and lbian people maybe 20 years ago.

BARNEY FRANK: CONGRS HAS CLOSETED GAY MEMBERS

Former Rep. Barney Frank says he believ there are still closeted gay members of Congrs – and he has no problem wh them stayg that way, as long as they’re not hypocr. * barney frank gay *

Though I was a third term Democratic ngrsman om Massachetts, I had lived too long wh the burn of “the gay thg” to treat g out as a polil matter alone. I’d felt shame as I watched younger gay men and lbians nont the bigots openly wh a urage that I lacked.

They remaed mted to the “le” that proment people should not be outed unls they had been enmhed a gay-related sndal, but they were unrstandably eager to break the story. I nsistently said no—I didn’t ny I was gay but voked their own nondisclosure prciple. His primary ncern was outlawg abortn, but he had followed the nservative movement’s anti-gay le as well.

BARNEY FRANK'S JOURNEY FROM CLOSETED TO AN OPENLY GAY MEMBER OF CONGRS

In his new memoir, Frank scrib how early polics he feared people would "draw ferenc" if he supported gay rights. But his drive to fight discrimatn was stronger. * barney frank gay *

His nial of his homosexualy was universally—and accurately—disbelieved, and he was feated for reelectn that year.

In his memoir scribg his own gay life, he ced my attendance at a gay pri rally the pany of a iend whom he accurately assumed was a romantic attachment.

No one readg uld miss the clear import: I was a gay man who enjoyed a media silence that he had been nied.

FRANK REMISC ABOUT BEG FIRST OPENLY GAY NGRSMAN

Barney Frank, disputably the natn's most proment gay polician, is retirg next month after more than three s Congrs. He talks about his reer and g out. * barney frank gay *

“Tip, ” I said, “Bob Bman has jt wrten a book that says I’m gay.

When I had asked gay rights activist Steve Enan to take me to a gay bar 1980, durg Congrs’s lame-duck ssn, he was chastised by a senr gay polil lear for threateng my ver, thereby endangerg an important LGBT polil asset.

BARNEY FRANK SAYS AARON SCHOCK SHOULD BE ‘EXPOSED’ IF HE'S GAY

* barney frank gay *

I then explaed that I did not tend to announce anythg, but that I would answer hontly if a reporter asked if I was gay. If beg gay was no big al, people would reasonably ask why I announced . Askg if I were gay—even wh my permissn—would break the no-outg le and require them to expla why I was a one-time exceptn.

Office, turned on her tape rerr, and asked me, “Are you gay?

BARNEY {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}BARNEY FRANK IS THE FIRST U.S. CONGRSMAN TO VOLUNTARILY ANNOUNCE HIS HOMOSEXUALY. HE IS ALSO KNOWN FOR HIS WORK ON THE 2008 AMERIN HOG RCUE AND FORECLOSURE PREVENTN {MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{LE-HEIGHT:1.6;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;LOR:#323232;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;LOR:#323232;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}BY {DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: JUN 15, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;}(1940-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHEN WAS BARNEY FRANK BORN?BARNEY FRANK WAS BORN ON MARCH 31, 1940, BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY. THE MASSACHETTS DEMOCRAT BEME A U.S. CONGRSMAN 1980 AND PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED HIS HOMOSEXUALY 1987. FRANK WORKED AT LENGTH ON THE AMERIN HOG RCUE AND FORECLOSURE PREVENTN ACT, WHICH WAS PASSED 2008. HE MARRIED HIS LONGTIME BOYIEND, JIM READY, JULY 2012.EARLY LIFEMASSACHETTS CONGRSMAN BARNEY FRANK (D) IS NSIRED ONE OF THE MOST PROMENT GAY POLICIANS THE UNED STAT. BORN BART FRANK TO ELSIE AND SAMUEL FRANK, BARNEY GREW UP BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY. HIS FATHER RAN A JERSEY CY TCK STOP AND LATER SERVED A YEAR JAIL FOR REFG TO TTIFY AGAST HIS BROTHER, WHO WAS VOLVED A KICKBACK SCHEME. DPE THE CINT, FRANK'S PARENTS STILLED HIM AND HIS THREE SIBLGS "A BELIEF THE POWER OF THE ERNMENT TO DO GOOD," ACRDG TO A JANUARY 2009 ARTICLE {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}THE NEW YORKER.FRANK GRADUATED OM HARVARD COLLEGE 1962 AND LATER EARNED HIS DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GREE ERNMENT WHILE TEACHG UNRGRADUATE CLASS. HE THEN BEME CHIEF ASSISTANT TO BOSTON MAYOR KEV AND WORKED FOR MASSACHETTS CONGRSMAN MICHAEL HARRGTON. IN 1972, FRANK SERVED ON THE MASSACHETTS HOE OF REPRENTATIV FOR EIGHT YEARS WHILE ATTENDG HARVARD LAW SCHOOL. IN 1979, HE PASSED THE BAR EXAM MASSACHETTS.DURG HIS TIME STATE ERNMENT, FRANK TGHT PART-TIME AT HIS ALMA MATER AND SEVERAL OTHER UNIVERSI, CLUDG BOSTON UNIVERSY. HE ALSO PUBLISHED ARTICL ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND POLICS. BY THE LATE 1970S, FRANK CID TO PURSUE HIGHER OFFICE—AND 1980—HE RAN FOR AND WON THE U.S. HOE OF REPRENTATIV 4TH CONGRSNAL DISTRICT SEAT, WHICH HE NTUED TO W EVERY ELECTN THEREAFTER. HE ANNOUNCED NOVEMBER 2011 THAT HE WOULD NOT SEEK RE-ELECTN THE FOLLOWG YEAR. COMG OUTFRANK OPENED UP ABOUT HIS HOMOSEXUALY TO IENDS BEFORE HE RAN FOR CONGRS, BUT HE NCEALED HIS SEXUAL PREFERENCE OM THE PUBLIC UNTIL MAY 30, 1987. FRANK, THE FIRST NGRSMAN TO EVER PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE HIS HOMOSEXUALY, SAID THAT ONE OF HIS REASONS FOR DOG SO WAS THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO END UP LIKE CLOSETED BISEXUAL REPUBLIN CONNECTICUT CONGRSMAN STEWART MCKNEY: AFTER MCKNEY'S ATH, ON MAY 7, 1987, MEDIA SPECULATN AROSE REGARDG WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS GAY. "I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO ME," FRANK TOLD THE WASHGTON POST. ACRDG TO EDGE BOSTON MAGAZE, ANOTHER TALYST FOR FRANK'S REVELATN WAS CREASED MEDIA TERT HIS PRIVATE LIFE AFTER FORMER REPUBLIN MARYLAND CONGRSMAN BOB BMAN WAS OTED OM HIS SEAT FOLLOWG AN ARRT FOR SOLICG AN UNRAGE MALE PROSTUTE.CONGRSNAL CAREERIN HIS 32-YEAR REER AS A MEMBER OF THE U.S. CONGRS, FRANK BEME WELL-KNOWN FOR HIS VOLVEMENT THE HOE'S FANCIAL SERVIC COMMTEE AND MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE BAILOUT ISSU.SHORTLY AFTER FRANK ANNOUNCED HIS IMMENT PARTURE OM CONGRS, THE WASHGTON POST PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE EXPLORG THE NGRSMAN'S EFFECT ON THE 2007 HOG CRISIS. ITS NCLN, STATED THE ARTICLE'S HEADLE, SAID: "BARNEY FRANK DIDN'T E THE HOG CRISIS."FANNIE MAE FOUGHT AGGRSIVELY TO MIMIZE FERAL REGULATN OF S ACTIVI AND ATTEMPTS TO TAX S PROFS. AMONG S TACTICS WAS GIVG "EXTRAVAGANT FAVORS" TO FLUENTIAL LAWMAKERS, CLUDG FRANK, WHO RECEIVED $42,350 MPAIGN NTRIBUTNS OM FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC BETWEEN 1989 AND 2008. BUT 2005, FRANK ALSO ATTEMPTED TO HELP SPONSOR A BIPARTISAN HOE BILL TO CREATE AN PENNT REGULATOR FOR THE RPORATNS: DIED THE SENATE. FOLLOWG THE SUBPRIME MORTGAGE CRISIS, FRANK SUPPORTED THE PASSAGE OF THE AMERIN HOG RCUE AND FORECLOSURE PREVENTN ACT, WHICH TEND TO PROTECT HOMEOWNERS OM FORECLOSURE. THE LAW, PASSED 2008, IS NOW NSIRED ONE OF THE MOST SENTIAL AND PLEX ISSU OF FRANK'S REER.WHERE IS BARNEY FRANK NOW?TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER HE REVEALED TO THE NATN THAT HE WAS GAY, A 72-YEAR-OLD FRANK MARRIED HIS LONGTIME BOYIEND, JIM READY, WHO WAS 42 AT THE TIME. ON THE EVENG OF SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012, FRANK AND READY EXCHANGED VOWS AT THE BOSTON MARRTT NEWTON BOSTON A CEREMONY OFFICIATED BY MASSACHETTS GOV. DEVAL PATRICK. MANY POLIL LUMARI, CLUDG CONGRSWOMAN NANCY PELOSI, ATTEND THE CEREMONY, BUT MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA WERE NOT PERMTED TO ATTEND. BY EXCHANGG VOWS MASSACHETTS SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE END OF HIS NGRSNAL REER, FRANK "TOOK ANOTHER LIBERATE FIRST STEP ... [AND WILL] SPEND THE RT OF HIS TIME OFFICE AS THE NATN'S FIRST NGRSMAN A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE," THE WASHGTON POST WROTE.IN AN TERVIEW WH NEW YORK MAGAZE APRIL 2012, FRANK SAID HE WANTED TO GET MARRIED WHILE OFFICE BEE HE THKS "'S IMPORTANT THAT [HIS] LLEAGU TERACT WH A MARRIED GAY MAN." HE ALSO TOLD THE REPORTER WHY HE CID TO LEAVE CONGRS AT THE END OF HIS TERM. "I'VE BEEN DOG THIS SCE OCTOBER OF 1967, AND I'VE SEEN TOO MANY PEOPLE STAY HERE BEYOND WHEN THEY SHOULD," FRANK SAID. "I DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY THAT I ED TO HAVE. I DON'T LIKE ANYMORE, I'M TIRED, AND MY NERV ARE AYED. AND I DISLIKE THE NEGATIVISM OF THE MEDIA. I THK THE MEDIA HAS GOTTEN CYNIL AND NEGATIVE TO A POT WHERE 'S UNPRODUCTIVE."IN 2022, THOR AND ILLTRATOR ERIC OMER RELEASED A GRAPHIC NOVEL BASED ON BARNEY'S LIFE TLED "SMAHTGUY: THE LIFE AND TIM OF BARNEY FRANK." {BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK FACTS

Robson had two reasons for beg so proprietary: It was his journalistic terrory, and he was himself a closeted gay man whom I had met at social functns D. (Inappropriately, the Globe later assigned him to the “society” beat, where he often mented om his closet a snarky way about other gay people. It started badly when an olr, nservative Democrat nonted me, plag that I had lied to him when he’d asked if I was gay durg my mpaign.

Frank remisc about beg first openly gay ngrsman | The Seattle Tim

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MY LIFE AS A GAY CONGRSMAN

BARNEY FRANK'S JOURNEY FROM CLOSETED TO AN OPENLY GAY MEMBER OF CONGRS