Barney Frank, the first openly gay US congressman, dies at 86

Pioneer of the queer cause in the United States and the first American congressman to come out, Democrat Barney Frank passed away at the age of 86 on Wednesday, according to several American media outlets.

Elected to the House of Representatives from 1981 to 2013 for Massachusetts, Barney Frank was also known for his work advocating for stricter banking regulations following the 2008 financial crisis. His efforts led to the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, a significant legislative achievement that shook Wall Street at the time, despite strong opposition from major players in the financial sector.

First voluntary coming out

Barney Frank publicly announced he was gay in 1987, becoming the first member of Congress to do so voluntarily. Prior to him, Democratic congressman Gerry Studds had his homosexuality revealed in 1983 following a public scandal.

“If you ask me directly, ‘Are you gay?’ the answer is yes. So what?” Barney Frank declared to the Boston Globe. “I don’t think I have anything to hide,” he added.

His career was briefly jeopardized in 1990 when the House Ethics Committee issued a reprimand due to his connection with a male prostitute. However, Massachusetts voters easily re-elected him, and he remained a significant figure in American politics for the next two decades.

In 2012, he became the first sitting member of Congress to marry someone of the same sex when he wedded his long-time partner, Jim Ready, in the presence of former presidential candidate John Kerry. Tributes from Democratic lawmakers poured in following his death.

“Barney Frank was one of a kind,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, praising him as a “giant in public life who helped change Massachusetts and America for the better.” Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi regretted the loss of an “iconic champion” of the American workers’ cause.