Know Your LGBT History - Barney Frank

Congressman Barney Frank has officially left office after serving over 30 years for the state of Massachusetts, the country, and the lgbt community.

Though he has now raised a desire to serve as an interim Senator until an election is held to officially replace outgoing Senator John Kerry, I seriously wonder if he was serious.

No matter though. There has never been, nor will there ever be another like Barney Frank. He was elected to office in 1981 and in 1987, he became the first member of Congress to come out as gay.

And it didn't hurt his career in the least. Until the time of his recent retirement, Frank always won his elections by wide margins (even after a ridiculous non-scandal involving a former partner who turned out to be escorting behind his back in 1987.)

But you know what we all miss now that Frank is gone from the House. The way he didn't take any nonsense from anyone regarding his policy decisions or his sexual orientation. The following clips are some of the best of his take downs:




 

 

Past Know Your LGBT History posts:

'Republicans continue to throw money away on bad DOMA defense' and other Friday midday news briefs

Cowboy Church Dust-up Over Horse Therapy Story - What does a church do when it claims that handling horses will make people less gay? Claim that it was misquoted. Nice try guys.  

House Republicans Vote To Continue Defending Unconstitutional DOMA - When and if they lose, I will be one of the first to say "I Told You So." I am considering renting out a plane. 

Related story on DOMA Defense:  Boehner's DOMA defense contains junk science, bad sources - What the money is going to, folks.  

Harvey: Oppose Labor Rights to Blunt 'Pro-Abortion and Pro-Homosexual Activism' - I do love Linda Harvey. She works better than a laxative.  

Morehouse Offers LGBTQ Course: A Student's Perspective - Hot damn! This is good news!

'Christian' groups play defense for refusal to help Hurricane Sandy victims

Yesterday's news cycle was dominated by how Republicans in the House of Representatives didn't vote on a relief package for the states struck by Hurricane Sandy and how several folks - including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie - wasn't exactly happy about it.

The Hurricane Sandy controversy even got play with religious right groups, but not how you think it would. The American Family Association's radio program played host to Rep. Tim Huelskamp, (R-KS) who said he found no reason for a bill to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy:



And then the Family Research Council, in its recent Washington Update said the following about helping the victims of Hurricane Sandy:

While some Congresses have the luxury of easing into their new jobs, this one does not. Thanks to all the unfinished business from the 112^th, these freshmen will be thrown into the deep end of America 's economic crises before they can even unpack their boxes. The first test for freshmen is the Sandy relief package, which the House postponed when it realized that the package was as flooded with pork as New Jersey homes were with water. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) took a lot of heat, most noticeably from Governor Chris Christie (R-N.J.), for refusing to fast-track a bill that uses hurricane victims as an excuse to pass almost $40 billion in government waste. 

Isn't it sad and fascinating that these organizations raise holy hell about something Jesus never mentioned (homosexuality) but becomes blase about something He heavily endorsed (helping those in need).

Such is the priorities of some tenets of American Christianity.