Rethinking Barney Frank

[Shana A]

Rethinking Barney Frank
Filed by: Rebecca Juro
May 25, 2009 2:30 PM

http://www.bilerico.com/2009/05/rethinking_barney_frank.php

At the Congressional hearing on transgender rights and equality he was instrumental in organizing, Frank was just about everything we could have hoped for. He was sharp, he was funny, he was devastatingly on-point, every bit the committed advocate we've always needed him to be. The rest of the Democrats in attendance were equally supportive, particularly Committee Chairman Rob Andrews, who deftly eviscerated Alliance Defense Fund Senior Council Glen Lavy's religion-based arguments against ensuring equal rights and treatment for transgender people. Most of all, what that hearing showed everyone, laymen and polititican alike, was that the rights of transgender people have significant and increasing support in Congress.

[tekla]

Of course, what you think of Barney Frank, if you don't live in his district, matters zip.

[Sandy]

Rhetoric is easy.  When I see him put some skin in the game then I'll rethink my opinion.

Also his malarky (I have a different term but I am a lady, mostly) about the trans community not making itself heard about the ENDA issue angers me to this day.  Every single trans group, most GLB groups (with the noted visible exception of our friends at the HRC), and many womens rights group came out against the removal of the gender wording.  And Barney, the dinosaur, said we have to make ourselves heard?

He, and Joe Salmonella have a long way to go to get me stop feeling betrayed.

As they say, keep your enemies close and your friends CLOSER.

-Sandy

[tekla]

we have to make ourselves heard

I always tried to find ways to help students remember important stuff.  When I was talking about the American Political System I often mentioned "The Two Bs" - Bucks and Bodies - groups, causes, and the rest have power in the political system because of one, or in the case of the NRA, both of those things to throw into the mix.  They have huge amounts of money they can throw at an issue to run and staff a campaign, make and buy air time for ads, or just give to your opponent.  Or, they have a lot of people they can turn out to vote, or for lobbing efforts, rallies, or for volunteer work.

That's all Barney is saying.  If you want this, you better organize people to support it either with their work, or with their pocketbook.

[Suzy]

Anyone pinning his or hopes on Barney Frank is bound to be disappointed.  As a politician he does seems to drift with the prevailing winds a lot. 

Kristi

[tekla]

As a politician he does seems to drift with the prevailing winds a lot. 

And that is different from who exactly?  Obama?  The Clintons?  GW Bush?  Seems to me that is not some weird deal, but almost a prerequisite.  Are they not supposed to represent 'the people' who of course can be a pretty fickle bunch.

[Julie Marie]

Of course, what you think of Barney Frank, if you don't live in his district, matters zip.

Not if people outside his district are influenced by him.  Granted, you may not be able to directly affect his reelection but you can indirectly do so by influencing the people who vote in his district.  So, what you think of Barney Frank does matter.

Anyone who gets media attention cannot be ignored if they negatively affect the quality of your life, your rights or any other aspect of your life.

Julie

[tekla]

Our Miss Nancy is hated in a lot of places, she gets more negative press than the swine flu, but still managed to win and had almost no opposition.  I guess you could write checks to whoever is going to run against Barney, but do you really want to start funding the Republicans again?