Barney Frank, the first out gay member of Congress, dies at 86

Barney Frank, a pioneering gay politician who helped change the landscape for LGBTQ+ representation in America, has died at age 86.

Frank became the first gay member of Congress to come out voluntarily when he publicly declared his sexual orientation in 1987.

“Prejudice is based on ignorance,” Frank told The Boston Globe in 2011. “And the best way to counterbalance it is with a living example, with reality.”

In 2012, at age 72, Frank married Jim Ready and became the first sitting member of Congress to wed someone of the same sex.

He insisted his male partner be invited to all events where other representatives’ spouses were welcome, normalising same-sex relationships in the halls of power.

Frank died on Tuesday at his home in Maine after entering hospice care with congestive heart failure.

Barney Frank remembered

Frank was up against a lot of bigotry during his career, being referred to as “Barney F**” by Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey in 1995 (he claimed it was a slip of the tongue), and of having a “radical homosexual agenda” by Republican John Hostettler in 2006.

He responded by saying he did have a list of things he would like to see for LGBT people, including “the right to marry the individual of our choice; the right to serve in the military to defend our country; and the right to a job based solely on our own qualifications”. And while he accepted it was an “agenda”, he said it was not “radical”.

Frank also believed in outing a closeted politician while they were using their position to harm LGBT people. He said on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher: “I think there’s a right to privacy. But the right to privacy should not be a right to hypocrisy. And people who want to demonise other people shouldn’t then be able to go home and close the door and do it themselves.”

Of course, his words have caused some controversy – especially recently, during his final interview from hospice care.

He said that the Democrats should take a step away from transgender rights and issues, but added: “That’s the approach the transgender community should take to male-to-female transgenders playing in women’s sports. That’s very controversial.

“Other issues are, I think more important, but also less toxic. Like getting good medical care, guaranteeing that to people. Guaranteeing people the right to designate their genders.”

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