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Houston Matters

Barney Frank Discusses Coming Out in Congress and a Life in Politics

Barney Frank spent 32 years in the U.S. House of Representatives serving Massachusetts’s 4th District. His legacy includes the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, reforming the financial industry. And, in 1987, the Democrat was the first member of Congress to come out as gay. He’s written a memoir about his political life and his struggles as politician […]

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Barney_Frank_Cover2Barney Frank spent 32 years in the U.S. House of Representatives serving Massachusetts’s 4th District. His legacy includes the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, reforming the financial industry. And, in 1987, the Democrat was the first member of Congress to come out as gay.

He's written a memoir about his political life and his struggles as politician trying to hide his sexuality. It's called – fittingly – Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage.

His book tour recently stopped in Houston, and Michael Hagerty spoke with the retired lawmaker about the recent fallout from Indiana's controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and why he was wanted to pursue politics in the first place.

MORE: Barney Frank’s Journey From Closeted To An Openly Gay Member Of Congress (Fresh Air, March 16, 2015)

Michael Hagerty

Michael Hagerty

Senior Producer, Houston Matters

Michael Hagerty is the senior producer for Houston Matters. He's spent more than 20 years in public radio and television and dabbled in minor league baseball, spending four seasons as the public address announcer for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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