Frank embraces title of LGBT rights pioneer

By Chris Johnson on November 29, 2011

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/11/29/frank-embraces-title-of-lgbt-rights-pioneer/

Retiring Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) acknowledged on Tuesday his role as a pioneer for LGBT rights during a Washington news conference.

Asked by the Washington Blade whether he thinks characterizations of him following his retirement announcement as a gay rights pioneer are accurate, Frank replied, "Yeah, in the sense that I was the first person to volunteer that I was gay."

Frank made the comments during a news conference on Capitol Hill following his announcement from the previous day that he won't pursue a 17th term in the U.S. House. He took questions from Washington-area reporters after participating in a similar event on Monday in his home district in Massachusetts.