This ought to be wild. After announcing that he’s retiring from the House and marrying his partner, Rep. Barney Frank’s Capitol buddies are throwing him a shindig to celebrate his coming out 25 years ago.
An email to fans from Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., who is also openly gay and a parent, said, “I just wanted to extend an invitation to you to join me at a special celebration here in Washington, D.C., honoring Congressman Barney Frank on the 25th anniversary of his coming out. Barney is an inspiration to all of us as one of the first openly gay congressman to serve in the House.”
Polis added, “This event will be particularly moving for me as it will be one of our last events with him before he retires this year.”
Tickets to the event are $100-$5,000 and are being made available through the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Leader Nancy Pelosi, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel, and I would love for you to join us as we pay tribute to his service,” said Polis.
It takes place Wednesday May 30 on the rooftop of El Centro D.F., the Mexican restaurant.
Frank, first elected to the House in 1980, came out of the closet in May 1987 in a “seemingly casual answer to a reporter’s question,” according to the Almanac of American Politics.
There was scandal, though. The Almanac added that two years later it was reported that Frank “had employed as a personal aide a male prostitute and convicted drug possessor.” Faced with the scandal, Frank did what he does best: He bluntly addressed it, fessed up, and after a House reprimand, he was back in business.
