Congressman Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts), the House's longest-serving out gay member, will drop in to the North Bay this weekend for two fundraisers before jetting back to Washington, D.C. The events are to help Frank raise a campaign war chest for his re-election next year.

So far one Republican has announced plans to challenge Frank for his 4th Congressional District seat in the Bay State; Keith Messina , a mechanical engineer, is running against the incumbent. According to the Boston Globe, Messina plans to focus on jobs in the race and supports federal recognition of same-sex marriage. The 25-year-old political newcomer likely poses little threat to Frank, 69, who was first elected to Congress in 1981.

Frank's trip out west coincides with the National Equality March taking place this weekend in the nation's capital. As of this Wednesday, Frank's name was missing from the list of people endorsing the LGBT gathering on the National Mall. Also not on the list is his openly gay colleague Congressman Jared Polis (D-Colorado); the House's third out member, lesbian Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), has endorsed the march.

It is not the first time this year that there has been dissention among the three out representatives. Unlike Polis and Baldwin, Frank is opposing a bill aimed at repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act because it includes a "certainty provision." The clause would ensure that when a legally married same-sex couple moves to a state that does not recognize same-sex marriages their marriage would still be considered valid for federal purposes.

"Given that there is zero chance of this bill becoming law in the near future, it is a mistake to explicitly introduce this crossing state lines issue," said Frank on the House floor in explaining why he would not be co-sponsoring the bill.

In an interview with Roll Call, the newspaper that covers Congress, Frank said he thinks the certainty provision would "complicate things electorally for members ... People will interpret this as exporting marriage."

But not everyone in Congress agrees. Speaking at the recent BAYMEC dinner in San Jose, Congressman Mike Honda (D-Campbell) refuted arguments that the bill would alter the nation's marriage laws and said it was time for politicians to repeal DOMA.

"It is not an expansion of marriage rights. It is merely recognition of those [same-sex] couples in relationships are responsible for each other," said Honda, who pledged that the Democratic Party "will not put up with the Defense of Marriage Act."

To many political observers Frank's opposition to the DOMA repeal bill means the legislation will be dead on arrival on Capitol Hill. As the Advocate's Washington-based correspondent Kerry Eleveld wrote on the LGBT magazine's Web site, Frank "bucked a united LGBT front and launched what can only be viewed as an assault on" the bill.

More important is the fact that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) looks to Frank for guidance on which LGBT bills to prioritize, and both lawmakers have been very clear this year that federal marriage rights are not high on the list. If anything, the two would like to see Congress send President Barack Obama bills extending hate crimes protections to the LGBT community and a transgender-inclusive federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Even if Frank were supportive of the legislation, known as the Respect for Marriage Act and introduced by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-New York), some LGBT leaders see little chance of it ever being passed. During a speech before the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco last month, former Obama deputy campaign director Steve Hildebrand gave the DOMA repeal effort zero chance of passage.

"I don't believe Congress will ever have the courage to repeal DOMA," said Hildebrand, who himself is gay and advising gay San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty on his 2011 mayoral bid.

Asked by the Bay Area Reporter about Frank's opposition to the bill, Hildebrand acknowledged that without the powerful lawmaker's support the bill's prospects are dim.

"I don't pretend to understand everything that goes on in Congressman Frank's head. He is a wickedly smart guy but he has a lot on his plate with the banking crisis," said Hildebrand. "He is a leader who inspires many gay Americans and we need to have him be one of our best advocates. He has a lot of clout in that Democratic caucus.

"Even if an issue like repeal of DOMA doesn't have all the votes, it doesn't mean we shouldn't fight like hell to get it passed," added Hildebrand.

Frank's stance on the DOMA bill has elicited a more muted reaction than when he angered many LGBT activists in 2007 by dropping gender identity protections in a version of ENDA passed by the House that year but never taken up in the Senate. Rather than outright outrage with Frank's latest move in regards to DOMA, many Bay Area LGBT leaders have expressed disappointment.

"I wish he were on board, but I greatly respect Tammy Baldwin's leadership on it," said openly gay state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who has long championed marriage rights for same-sex couples.

He said he questioned Frank's voicing opposition to the DOMA repeal bill.

"Barney knows his job better than I, but introducing the bill begins the discussion. I don't understand why he shouldn't fully embrace this," said Leno, whose Senate district includes areas outside the city of Santa Rosa and did not plan to attend either of the two fundraisers being held for Frank.

Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club President Rafael Mandelman said he had not heard any talk of there being a protest or picket of the Frank fundraisers this weekend, like when many in the Bay Area boycotted the Human Rights Campaign dinner in 2008 due to the ENDA flap.

"There might be some lingering sourness" due to the ENDA fight, said Mandelman, adding that "the Milk Club is much more happy with Tammy Baldwin than we are with Barney Frank generally on a number of issues."

While many Milk Club members continue to question Frank's position on LGBT issues, said Mandelman, it is unclear what the proper response should be.

"It is hard. Do you want to picket Barney? At the same time he keeps doing these things that seem pretty upsetting," said Mandelman, who will be attending the DC march and was named one of San Francisco-based magazine 7X7's "Hot 20 under 40" in the October issue.

Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors said he is unable to attend the Frank fundraisers Saturday, October 10 because they conflict with an event EQCA has planned that day for area Assemblywoman Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) at the Buena Vista Winery Press House in Sonoma.

He said, if anything, he has been surprised by Frank's decision not to support the DOMA repeal bill. The community will need to step up its advocacy around the issue for it to become a priority, added Kors, particularly with Pelosi.

"We have close to 100 co-sponsors, which no one felt was possible. It is up to us involved in politics and Pelosi's constituents to share why this is important," he said.

Others argue that LGBT advocates should not disregard Frank's counsel and should listen to what he has to say in order to move the bill forward.

"It is a unique perspective from someone in the trenches. He has been an individual who is quite practical. I certainly listen to his perspective," said openly gay Campbell City Councilman Evan Low , an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee. "I think it is credible and something to take into consideration. If it is dead on arrival, then what can we as a community do to make it not be dead on arrival?"

Michael A. Fiumara, a gay man who formerly was president of the Santa Rosa Democratic Club, is helping to organize the Frank fundraisers. Having known the congressman for nearly 16 years now, Fiumara said he is confident that Frank isn't merely setting up a roadblock but has a plan for how to lift the federal ban on recognizing same-sex marriages.

"He is brighter than 99 percent of us. He is extremely intelligent and insightful," said Fiumara, a lawyer based in Santa Rosa and a major donor to Democratic campaigns. "It is not that he is being prejudice or small-minded in any way. He sees how that mechanism works in Congress and he is looking for us a way to get in.

"Once the Trojan horse gets into the gates of hell that is Congress and fundamentalists then unleash their forces, I think he will go well beyond all of our expectations. I really do," added Fiumara.

The first event will take place Saturday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Flamingo Hotel and Conference Resort, located at 2777 Fourth Street in Santa Rosa. Tickets cost $100.

The second event will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Iron Horse Vineyards at the end of Ross Station Road in Sebastopol. It is being hosted by the Sterling family, which owns the winery. Tickets cost $500.

To RSVP for either event contact Lisa Scala-Farmer at 617-268-2221 or e-mail mailto:lisa@lmsconsulting.org.

For more information about Congressman Frank and his re-election effort, visit http://www.barneyfrank.net.

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http://www.ebar.com Monday mornings around 10 a.m. for Political Notes, the notebook's online companion. This week's column reports on progressive backing for out state Senator Mark Leno's re-election bid.

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