National
Frank retiring from Congress in 2012
Gay lawmaker not pursuing 17th term in U.S. House
Rep. Barney Frank (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The longest serving openly gay member of Congress won’t seek re-election to the U.S. House in 2012.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) announced his retirement during a press conference at Newton City Hall in Massachusetts on Monday. Had the lawmaker sought re-election, he would have been pursuing a 17th term in Congress.
MORE IN THE BLADE: REP. FRANK EMBRACES TITLE OF LGBT RIGHTS PIONEER
Frank later confirmed his intent to retire at the end of next year in a statement issued by his office in which he said he “will not be a candidate for reelection to the House of Representatives in 2012.”
“I began to think about retirement last year, as we were completing passage of the financial reform bill,” Frank said. “I have enjoyed — indeed been enormously honored — by the chance to represent others in Congress and the State Legislature, but there are other things I hope to do before my career ends. Specifically, I have for several years been thinking about writing, and while there are people who are able to combine serious writing with full-time jobs, my susceptibility to distraction when faced with a blank screen makes that impossible.
The Massachusetts Democrat is one of four openly gay members of Congress. The other three are Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and David Cicilline (D-R.I.) Baldwin is leaving her seat to pursue a run for U.S. Senate, but gay candidate Mark Pocan is seeking to replace her.
Frank, 71, served as a member of the Massachusetts State House in the 1970s and was first elected to Congress in 1980. He serves as the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee. When Democrats held control of the House during the 111th Congress, he led the way as chairman of the committee for the passage of major financial reform legislation known as Dodd-Frank.
ALSO IN THE BLADE: THE PRESIDENT REACTS TO REP. BARNEY FRANK’S ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT
While announcing his plans to retire from Congress, Frank said during the news conference Monday he plans “to continue to be an advocate of public policy.” The lawmaker said he’d like to debate Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage.
“I did not think I had lived a good enough life to be rewarded by Newt Gingrich being the Republican nominee,” Frank said. “It still is unlikely, but I have hopes. Let me say, for example, I intend to continue to be an advocate of public policy. I look forward to debating, to take one important example, the Defense of Marriage Act with Mr. Gingrich. I think he is an ideal opponent for us, when we talk about just who it is, is threatening the sanctity of marriage.”
Gingrich, who helped pass DOMA into law in 1996 when he was House speaker, has been married three times and has confessed to committing adultery.
LGBT groups praised Frank for his years of service and his role as an LGBT advocate during his decades in Congress.
Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, commended Frank upon news of his retirement and said the lawmaker “exemplified true leadership over his more than 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
“As the first openly gay Member of Congress, Barney defied stereotypes and kicked doors open for LGBT Americans,” Solmonese said. “Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act would never have happened without his leadership. But it goes beyond that. His service as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee during a time of great economic upheaval made a gay man one of the most powerful people in the country and he used that power for great good. America, Massachusetts and LGBT people are better off for Barney Frank’s service.”
Chuck Wolfe, CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said the announcement may mean Frank’s political career may be coming to an end, but added the lawmaker’s “legacy will outlive us all.”
“His decision to come out as gay more than two decades ago gave LGBT Americans an authentic voice and a persistent champion in Washington,” Wolfe said. “He has used that voice loudly and often, speaking personally, humorously and effectively about the hopes and challenges of Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. We will miss that voice very much.”
The Victory Fund has endorsed the re-election bids of openly gay U.S. House members Polis and Cicilline. The organization also backs the election to Congress of non-incumbent Pocan as well as Mark Takano in California and State Rep. Marko Liias in Washington State.
Jerame Davis, interim executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats, said his organization is “saddened” by Frank’s retirement. The lawmaker helped found the organization in 1999.
“Not only is he full of searing ripostes and witty bon mots, he has been a tireless advocate for LGBT equality for decades,” Davis said. “He has been an original co-sponsor of almost every pro-LGBT piece of legislation introduced in the House and he strongly championed the Hate Crimes Act and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, both of which are now law.”
ALSO IN THE BLADE: BARNEY FRANK AND OTHER LGBT LEADERS WEIGH IN ON FRANK KAMENY’S IMPACT
Praise for Frank also came from other lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Polis, who’s poised to become the most senior openly gay member of Congress upon Frank’s retirement, commended Frank for his work in Congress on LGBT issues and financial reform.
“Barney Frank was a groundbreaking pioneer and one of the most insightful, knowledgeable and humorous people ever to grace the halls of Congress,” Polis said. “We will miss his leadership on a wide range of issues — from fighting to reign in Wall Street’s excesses and working to stabilize our economy to standing up for equal rights for LGBT Americans and curtailing runaway Pentagon spending. Congressman Frank championed the rights of all Americans, the economic security of all of our families, and a politics of inclusion and hope. It’s a great loss for the Congress but Barney leaves behind an enviable record of accomplishment. I will miss his presence every day.”
Frank took leadership roles in moving forward many pro-LGBT initiatives through Congress, but is perhaps best known for his work on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which he sponsors in the House. The legislation would protect LGBT people against job discrimination in most situations in the public and private workforce.
The lawmaker’s leadership on that bill proved controversial in 2007 when a version passed on the House floor by a vote of 235-184 at the expense of stripping out protections from the legislation for transgender people. Frank moved forward with the non-inclusive bill saying the votes weren’t present to pass ENDA with gender identity language.
But the decision riled transgender activists and many LGBT groups that dropped their support for that version of ENDA.
ENDA never saw a vote in the 111th Congress when Democrats held control of both the House and Senate as well as the White House. Some political observers said backers weren’t sure about defeating a motion to recommit on the House floor that opponents could use to derail the legislation.
Joe Racalto, who worked as a senior policy advisor for Frank and now serves as vice president for Freedom to Work, said Frank was a leader on LGBT issues, including ENDA, even though the legislation never became law. Freedom to Work is a new organization pushing for the passage of the workplace bill.
“Since 1980, Barney Frank has been the representative for LGBT Americans,” Racalto said. “I am both happy for Barney and sad to see him retire. Barney has served as a mentor and friend. Because of his tireless work, my life — as well as the lives of all LGBT Americans — are better. From hate crimes to ENDA to repeal of [‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’], Barney was often the leading voice for our civil rights in Congress. I cannot emphasize enough the impact he has made — It is because of his love for justice and civil rights that ENDA has a solid foundation not only in Congress, but overwhelming support among the American people.”
Frank isn’t the first openly gay person elected to Congress. That distinction goes to the late Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.), who came out in 1983 after a male page revealed at the age of 17 he had a sexual relationship with the lawmaker. Frank made his sexual orientation public later in 1987 during his fourth term in office.
In 1989, Frank found himself in a scandal as a result having engaged in services four years earlier with a male escort named Stephen Gobie. Frank later hired Gobie as a driver despite and used his House privileges to waive 33 of Gobie’s parking tickets. After Frank discovered that Gobie was running a prostitution service out of his Capitol Hill apartment, the lawmaker fired him.
Gobie responded by coming out with his story to the media. In 1990, the House voted to reprimand Frank by a vote 408-18. These efforts in Congress were led by former Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) who was later involved in his own scandal by being caught allegedly soliciting sex with a male police officer in a bathroom at the Minneapolis airport. Craig has denied that he’s gay, although Frank later accused him of hypocrisy.
Florida
Gay Fla. Democrat Elijah Manley sees opportunity in Trump’s second term
State’s 20th Congressional District’s includes Broward, Palm Beach Counties
Just over two and a half miles from President Donald Trump’s primary residence lies one of Florida’s most reliably Democratic congressional districts. There, a 27-year-old progressive is mounting a campaign centered on resisting what he calls the Trump-Vance administration’s attacks on civil rights, immigrants, and LGBTQ Americans.
Elijah Manley, an openly gay Democrat, sat down with the Washington Blade to discuss why he is running for Florida’s 20th Congressional District, why he believes this moment calls for a new generation of leadership, and what he hopes to accomplish if elected to Congress.
Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk neighborhood — the city’s oldest African American community — Manley was raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet. His family experienced housing insecurity and, at one point, homelessness, experiences he says continue to shape both his politics and his policy priorities.
For Manley, those experiences are precisely what he believes Congress is missing.
“I think now the country is in need of somebody like me, with my story, my lived experience, the struggles I’ve been through in my life. We’re going through a really dark time in the country with the Trump administration coming for our civil rights and an economy that is not working for everybody. In a time where we have MAGA fascism, we need progressive leadership, and we need people who are really going to do the work of fighting back and resisting and obstructing Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ agenda in Congress.”
Manley said his campaign is also about ensuring people from marginalized communities — those without wealth, political connections, or institutional backing — have a voice in Congress.
“I think my story sets me aside from everyone else. I’m the only one in this race who has a story to tell voters that lines up with their lived experiences and their struggles. Growing up in poverty and experiencing homelessness was instrumental in developing my worldview and how I fight for people, and I think that’s something that’s absent on Capitol Hill.”
He argues that lived experience offers a perspective often missing on Capitol Hill.
“There are too many lawyers and people coming from professional and political backgrounds. Then you have somebody like me who is rooted in the story of this district. That’s what sets me apart from everyone else in this race.”
According to his campaign website, Manley’s interest in public service dates back to childhood. He cites the election of President Barack Obama as a defining moment that inspired him to pursue politics.
“He was inspired by Barack Obama’s historic election, igniting his passion for public service. He began writing to elected officials, speaking at school board and city council meetings, and advocating for issues affecting his community,” the website states. It goes on to describe his involvement in criminal justice and law magnet programs, Navy JROTC, and hundreds of hours of volunteer service while in high school.
As an openly gay candidate running during Trump’s second administration, Manley said Congress must take a far more aggressive approach to protecting LGBTQ Americans, particularly as Republican-led states continue passing restrictions targeting transgender people.
“I think we need to bring the hammer down on some of these states. I’m not one of these states’ rights people — Congress has the power to preempt laws that states pass through the Supremacy Clause. There’s never been a more important time in our history when we’re seeing fascism, we’re seeing an administration out of control, and we need Congress to act.”
His campaign has also drawn criticism from both Republicans and establishment Democrats for his positions on Gaza, immigration, and his call to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Manley said abolishing ICE does not mean eliminating immigration enforcement altogether.
“I’m not saying there should be no immigration laws. We want laws around immigration, but we want dignity. We don’t need a hypermilitarized, paramilitary group chasing people through the streets, terrorizing communities, churches, schools, and families.”
His personal experiences also inform his healthcare agenda.
“When we talk about healthcare, my experience growing up on Medicaid is seeing the failure of the government to expand Medicaid here in Florida, and now we’re seeing cuts from the Trump administration. I’m not just looking at statistics or numbers on paper — this is based on lived experience. I know how the people in this district are going to be hurt by these policies because I’ve lived it.”
California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who has generated early buzz as a potential 2028 presidential contender for his “progressive capitalist” approach to governing, has endorsed Manley’s campaign, giving the first-time congressional candidate one of his highest-profile endorsements.
Manley faces six other Democrats in the primary, including U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, along with four Republican candidates in the general election field. Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress ahead of a potential expulsion and is running again while facing federal criminal charges.
Despite running as the youngest candidate in the field, Manley said he hopes voters leave the race remembering one thing above all else.
“I want people to remember bold and authentic leadership. I want them to know I’m running because I’ve been through what people are going through right now — and it’s not that I’ve been through it, I’m actually still going through it. We need bold people who are going to fight for everybody and stand up for what’s right, and that’s what I hope voters see when they go to the polls.”
Florida
Former Fla. gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum arrested on drug charges
Democrat narrowly lost to DeSantis in 2018, later came out as bisexual
Andrew Gillum, the former Democratic nominee for governor of Florida and former mayor of Tallahassee, was arrested on drug possession charges in Alabama last week.
Police in Daphne, Ala., said they pulled Gillum over for erratic driving and found marijuana and methamphetamine in his vehicle. He was charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, according to the Daphne Police Department. Jail records show he was arrested on July 2 and released on July 3, the Associated Press reports.
Gillum, the first Black nominee of a major political party for governor in Florida, lost the 2018 election to current Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a highly contentious race.
Once considered a rising star in national politics, Gillum served in Tallahassee’s local government, first as a city commissioner and then as mayor of Florida’s capital from 2014- 2018.
The Daphne Police Department said officers stopped Gillum’s vehicle around 10:45 p.m. and initiated a probable cause search after one officer noticed a glass pipe on the center console.
During the search, officers found several rolled marijuana cigarettes and three packages containing a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, police said.
The day after his arrest he was charged with possession of dangerous drugs, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana.
In 2020, Gillum was involved in a similar incident when he was found in a Miami Beach, Fla., hotel room with a man identified as an escort who had apparently overdosed on drugs. Police also found three bags of suspected crystal methamphetamine in the room. The man survived, and no one was ever charged with a crime.
Later that year, Gillum came out as bisexual during an appearance on “The Tamron Hall Show,” where he discussed his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and his decision to seek treatment following the 2020 incident.
In the same interview he shed light onto this, saying his substance use was a byproduct of the emotional struggles he experienced after losing the 2018 gubernatorial race to DeSantis.
This is not the first time Gillum has faced legal scrutiny.
During his 2014 mayoral campaign, he faced allegations of misconduct after hiring private equity investor Adam Corey as his campaign treasurer, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest. However, the FBI ultimately concluded there was no conflict of interest.
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia murder suspect remains at large
Two killed, one injured in attacks motivated by victims’ sexual orientation
Police seek the public’s support in finding a suspect wanted in connection with three Philadelphia shootings, including two murders, who may have targeted his victims because they were gay. All three shootings took place near Hunting Park Recreation Center between May 29 and June 26.
The suspect is 21-year-old Jahylin Melchur, who has not been located by police and is not in police custody as of July 7. Police seek the public’s support in tracking down the suspect, whose image was captured on surveillance cameras. Previous reporting underlined that Melchur should be considered armed and dangerous.
Each of the victims was found partially clothed between 10 and 11 p.m.
On May 29, a 55-year-old in Juniata Park was found two miles from the rec center. The victim, who survived the encounter with critical injuries, said a man approached him and announced his intention to rob him, before shooting him in the elbow and torso.
Martin Higgins, 45, was pronounced dead on the bleachers of the rec center’s baseball field on June 20, suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Sharef Holman, 29, was found near the basketball courts on June 26, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Temple University Hospital but died shortly thereafter.
Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore declined to answer the Philadelphia Inquirer’s question regarding whether the victims may have met Melchur on a dating app, citing the ongoing investigation. Sources told the Philadelphia Inquirer that investigators are exploring this possibility
Although robbery may be at least part of the motive in the first shooting, other movies are unclear.
NBC10 reported that law enforcement sources told the station all three victims were targeted because they were gay, but the Philadelphia Police Department did not confirm this.
The Philadelphia Police Department replied to PGN’s questions with an email stating, “This remains a very active investigation, and investigators are looking at all aspects of the case, including underlying motivations for committing these crimes.
“At this point, we can confirm that Melchur is wanted for two homicides by shooting and one non-fatal shooting, all of which occurred in the Hunting Park area.
“The investigation has not established that the victims were specifically targeted because of their sexual orientation.”
The Philadelphia Police Department is urging anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or submit an anonymous tip by calling the PPD Tip Line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
(This story is republished with permission of the Philadelphia Gay News.)
Gay Fla. Democrat Elijah Manley sees opportunity in Trump’s second term
Ron Singer, owner of popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s, dies
Egyptian authorities refuse to allow gay cruise to dock in country
‘She’s the He’ brings gender-bending twist to teen comedy genre
Supreme Court ruling on trans athletes is a public health story
‘My Favorite Sociopath’ debuts at Shepherdstown’s CATF
Under-the-radar Delaware beach towns smart buyers are targeting
In Trump’s divided America, Michael Weinstein’s AHF responds
Turkish authorities refuse to allow gay cruise to dock in country
When a church fears the rainbow
-
Theater5 days ago‘My Favorite Sociopath’ debuts at Shepherdstown’s CATF
-
Real Estate5 days ago
Under-the-radar Delaware beach towns smart buyers are targeting
-
Politics4 days ago
In Trump’s divided America, Michael Weinstein’s AHF responds
-
Turkey4 days ago
Turkish authorities refuse to allow gay cruise to dock in country
