Why I've always admired Barney Frank

[Philosoraptor]

First, he's a great liberal representative, but the thing that impressed me so many years ago was when he admitted that he was gay, and stood his ground, and broke a long tradition of using a politician's sexuality as a way to blackmail him or her. Forever and ever homosexual men and women have served their nation in the military or government, and forever and forever they had to hide who they were, and live in fear of being exposed and destroyed, and being forced to live double lives by those who would use it against them, until Barney.

Barney Frank took the sword of sexual blackmail and rendered it useless. No republican asshole can use it against him, which they surely would. And I wonder about all the other larry craigs there may be in the senate and congress. A mean ass jerk like craig who legislates against gays while living the lifestyle in private deserves every bit of anguish he's earned.

And republican jerkoffs like dick armey who taunted Barney Frank in public for being gay never said a damned thing about their good buddy larry craig. It seems only Democrats can garner shame from sexuality, but republicans get a free pass.

[rox63]

1. Barney's an extremely cool Congresscritter

He's smart as a whip, and is a very witty guy.

[bryant69]

2. Well it's what you said - Republicans don't mind hidden closeted gays

so long as they don't have to see them. They are only after open gays.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[panader0]

3. Jim Kolbe was open too---after he was outed

[hobbit709]

4. You can't be blackmailed if you won't let them

That's the point. It's like the story of the French diplomat in the 50's in Moscow. The KGB showed him pictures of him and some woman in "compromising" situations and said they would tell if he didn't give them the secrets they wanted. His response "These are pretty good, can I have copies for my wife AND my mistress?" They realized they had no hold over him.

[ccpup]

5. a great friend of mine

who's an openly gay, very, very successful man in Hollywood said something to me once that I'll never forget:

A secret is a sledgehammer waiting to hit you in the head. Better to live openly than give your enemies free ammunition, right?

For some reason, that's always stuck with me.

[hobbit709]

7. The phrase back in the 70's here in Austin used by my little brother

"Better blatant than latent". My little brother is not only gay but flaming about it.

[bigscott]

9. LOL!!!!!!!!!

when i came out i figured i would never deny who/what i was. Some know, some don't, some ask, most don't. NOBODY can hold it over me - although some hold it against me

Barney is as cool in person as he seems on CSPAN. He is as nice to waiters in a restaurant as he is polite to his fellow congressmen/women

[Th1onein]

11. Being a Southern child of the sixties, and a hetero woman......

I was never around many people who admitted that they were gay, until recently. I have never been prejudiced against gays; I just consider their sexual habits none of my business. I don't know whether I should be ashamed to be fascinated by gay culture, but I am.

Having been born in the South, and lived there most of my life, I didn't realize, until recently, when I came to Ohio, that I had been taught to actually be prejudiced against people from the North. But I was. It's a pity, because I didn't know what I was missing.

[bdamomma]

6. I like Barney too.

Smart man.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. I've admired Barney since his days in the state legislature, but Gerry Studds deserves credit for

as the first openly gay member of Congress and his stand came when he was censured as part of a page sex scandal. As I recall Barney was a first term congressman at that time. Barney didn't come out until several years later. I was living in Massachusetts then and this was big news.

Gerry Studds represented what was then considered a socially conservative district (in the area of New Bedford, MA) and many pundits thought his admission would end his career, but the people voted for him because they knew him and knew that he promoted their fishing interests.

[CrispyQ]

10. I've only seen him on tv a few times,

but I liked him lots. I believe my grandfather would have called him a straight shooter. ;)

[Philosoraptor]

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[Philosoraptor]

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