![]() My response was: "Well, it doesn't hurt any individual marriages, but despite that it somehow hurts the institution of marriage? That is an argument of someone who ought to be in an institution.". "The best humor is offered up by the stupidity of your opponents."Īnd one guy got up, Steve Largent from Oklahoma, and he said, "Well, I'll tell the gentleman this: No, it doesn't hurt my marriage, it doesn't hurt the marriage of other people here, but it hurts the institution of marriage." ![]() He came out publicly in 1987 - and in 2012 became the first member of Congress to enter into a same-sex marriage. Frank was elected to Congress in 1980 after serving eight years in the Massachusetts Legislature. It turns out, Frank not only participated in it, he was an open champion for the latter part of his career. "And I was increasingly depressed by the disparity between my advocating the rights for everybody else and then denying myself any chance to participate in it," he says. Throughout that decade, Frank became an increasingly active and prominent leader of gay rights. "I was a little afraid of because I was 32, unmarried - other people would draw inferences," Frank says.īut Frank was the only member who won who said he'd sponsor the bill, so he did take the lead. Frank says he enthusiastically agreed, expecting a senior member to take the lead. That year, two organizations asked candidates for the state Legislature if they would sponsor a gay rights bill. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Frank did, however, receive an unusually strong challenge from Republican Sean Bielat in 2010.įrank ultimately defeated Bielat, 54% to 43%.Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title Frank Subtitle A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage Author Barney Frank “Some of you may not think I’ve been good at it, but I’ve been trying.”įrank’s current district – which extends from the affluent, liberal Boston suburbs of Newton and Brookline to the cities of New Bedford and Fall River – is considered safe Democratic political terrain. “One of the advantages to me of not running for office is I don’t even have to pretend to try to be nice to people I don’t like,” Frank joked with reporters Monday. Launching his career as an aide to Boston Mayor Kevin White in the late 1960s, Frank quickly became known for an acidic political wit. He was formally reprimanded by the House in 1990 for allegations of political impropriety relating to his association with a male prostitute. The controversial 2010 Dodd-Frank measure, designed to rein in Wall Street excesses after the 2008 financial collapse, passed the House without any GOP support.įrank made headlines earlier in his career by becoming one of the first openly gay members of Congress. House of Representatives in 1980, is the top Democrat on the powerful House Financial Services Committee. “Republicans were already gearing up for a strong race and Frank’s sudden retirement injects added optimism and excitement into the election.”įrank, first elected to the U.S. “It is clear that Congressman Frank was not looking forward to another hard-fought campaign after losing his gerrymandered district and spending nearly every penny he had in 2010,” Massachusetts Republican Party Executive Director Nate Little said in a written statement. ![]() ![]() While Massachusetts’ entire House delegation is Democratic, local Republicans insist Frank’s retirement will put the reconfigured district in play. ![]()
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