Barney Frank, the cantankerous longtime liberal Democratic congressman from Massachusetts, surprised political observers this week when he announced that he would not seek re-election next year. Frank, who is gay, was closeted when he first arrived in Washington in 1981. He came out publicly six years later in 1987. Since then, he has been a leader in the LGBT community who stood up for equal rights in the halls of Congress, long before there were other out colleagues in the House.
At a news conference in Newton, Massachusetts on Monday, the 71-year-old Frank attributed his change of heart �" earlier this year he had said he would seek re-election �" to new political realities. His congressional district was recently redrawn, meaning he would have had to fight harder to win re-election, including fundraising, which he apparently dislikes.
Frank is known for his temper and his uncanny ability to rattle off one-liners that are often biting or humorous. Usually, he lashes out at anti-gay politicians and conservatives. In 1995 when then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey referred to Frank as "Barney Fag," he later explained in an interview that it was a "slip of the tongue." But Frank did not accept Armey's apology, saying, "I turned to my own expert, my mother, who reports that in 59 years of marriage, no one ever introduced her as Elsie Fag."
Frank's stature as a prominent lawmaker in Washington elevated the discussion of equal rights for gays. But he's not a feel-good kind of politician and that has gotten him into trouble with the larger LGBT community. Most notably, Frank was at the center of a decision in 2007 to seek passage of a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that explicitly excluded gender identity and was, according to Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, "riddled with loopholes" that seriously diminished its protection for gay men and lesbians from workplace discrimination. More than 100 LGBT and allied organizations signed a letter informing Democratic congressional leaders that they were opposed to Frank's plan to pass the trans-exclusive ENDA first, then come back at a later time to vote on a bill that included gender identity. The House eventually passed that bill, but it never did make it to the Senate. Gay leaders eventually acknowledged that they would not choose that divisive path in the future.
The bitter 2007 fight seemed to change Frank. He hired an out transman to be his legislative aide and in 2009 introduced an inclusive version of ENDA. That bill went nowhere and Frank again reintroduced the bill earlier this year. But with Republicans in control of the House, the chances of passage are slim.
Frank's other area of expertise is financial regulation. It's his name on the Dodd-Frank bill that overhauled financial regulation, which President Barack Obama signed last year. The law has been criticized by many but it has led to much needed reforms of the financial sector.
When Frank entered Congress it was a different time, which he alluded to during his news conferences this week. Republicans and Democrats could work together on some issues without the partisan rancor that is prevalent today, he said. Frank places most of the blame for the changes on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of the leading Republican presidential contenders. And in characteristic fashion, Frank said he wouldn't mind debating Gingrich on the Defense of Marriage Act. It was a pointed reference to Gingrich's three marriages, and his extramarital affair while speaker, and was just one example of how Frank calls the shots as he sees them.
Frank's leadership at the national level will be missed. His seniority and knowledge of how Washington works will not be easily or immediately replaced. Today, there are three other out gay or lesbian House members, and none in the Senate �" although Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D) is trying to change that with her 2012 Senate campaign. We need more out people in Congress, and we'll need someone to demonstrate leadership on our issues. No one can replace Frank, but someone can create a new dynamic and continue the fight for equality.