Tag Archives: Barney Frank

ENDA Introduced In U.S. House

Finally! HRC’s press release: The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed today the bipartisan reintroduction of an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would create federal protections against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The lead sponsors of the measure are Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), IIeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), …

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Barney Frank Flip-Flops On DOMA Brief, Now Says He Supports It

Sen. Barney Frank, who issued a criticism of the DOJ-DOMA brief two days ago, yesterday said that he spoke before reading the brief and now supports it. From his official site: “When I was called by a newspaper reporter for reaction to the administration’s brief defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, I made the mistake of relying …

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12 House Reps To Cosponsor ENDA

Washington Blade reports that seven Democrats and four Republicans have signed on as cosponsors of Barney Frank’s transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which Frank has announced he will introduce next week. Both other openly gay reps Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis are cosponsors. The lead GOP cosponsor is Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. In 2007, Frank’s version of ENDA without transgender protection …

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Gay Congress Members On DOMA Brief

The openly gay members of Congress have all issued statements on the DOMA hate brief. Barney Frank (D-MA): “I think the administration made a big mistake. The wording they used was inappropriate. I’ve been in touch with the White House and I’m hoping the president will make clear these were not his views.” Frank says that the DNC fundraiser boycott …

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Don’t Interrupt Barney Frank

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Lawmakers Demand 2010 Census Count LGBT Couples

Led by openly gay reps Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank, and Jared Polis, a coalition of 48 congressional members have sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget demanding the the 2010 census count LGBT couples. Last year, the Bush administration, citing the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions, announced that lawfully …

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The Two Best Rebuttals In Yesterday’s House Hate Crimes Debate

Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) rips the GOP position that the hate crimes bill criminalizes thought. “That’s like saying that anti-lynching laws criminalized knot-tying!” Some real zingers there. But DO watch Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) tear into the Repubs who numerous times evoked the “Philadelphia 11”, a group of anti-gay protesters who were arrested in 2004 for preaching at a gay …

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Glenn Beck Mocks Barney Frank’s Speech Impediment

Is mocking Barney Frank’s speech impediment any worse than ridiculing Ahnold’s accent? I’d say, yes – when it’s also meant to belittle his gayness.

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Barney Frank Calls SCOTUS Justice Antonin Scalia A Homophobe

The wingnuts are already losing their shit.

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Notorious A-I-G

Barney Frank grilled AIG CEO Bill Liddy today and asked for a list of the names of AIG executives that have received post-bailout bonuses. Liddy says he’ll only release the names if Frank guarantees their anonymity. Liddy then goes on to read from a list of death threats made against AIG personnel. Frank refused to promise to shield the names …

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Ex-Gays Mad That Fannie & Freddie Gave Money To LGBT Activist Groups

Via Christianist “news site” One News Now: The group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) is outraged that even though government-backed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac went broke and received a federal bailout, they still managed to give thousands of dollars this year to homosexual activist groups. PFOX executive director Regina Griggs says Freddie Mac shelled …

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More Warren Reactions: Frank, Solmonese, GLAAD, LA LGBT Center

I’ve been inundated with emails from various groups denouncing the selection of Rick Warren to give the invocation at Obama’s inauguration. I’ll add to this post through the day as I get to them.Barney Frank: “I am very disappointed by President-elect Barack Obama’s decision to honor Reverend Rick Warren with a prominent role in his inauguration. Religious leaders obviously have …

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Barney Frank & Bill O’Reilly Go To War

Holy crap. We’ve seen Bill O’Reilly melt down many times before but this is insane. Barney Frank gives as good as he gets. (Maybe that’s not the right way to word that.)

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HomoQuotable – Barney Frank

“Here’s the story. There’s a terrible crisis affecting the American economy. We have come together on a bill to alleviate the crisis. And because somebody hurt their feelings, they decide to punish the country. I mean, I would not have imputed that degree of pettiness and hypersensitivity. We also have — as the leader will tell you, who’s been working …

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HomoQuotable – Barney Frank

“All of a sudden, now that we’re on the verge of making a deal, John McCain drops himself in to make a deal. I really worry about this politicization of it. Frankly, we’re going to have to interrupt a negotiating session tomorrow between the Democrats and Republicans on a bill, where I think we’re getting pretty close, and troop down …

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New Version Of ENDA Cites DOMA For Definition Of Marriage

Democrats in Congress have reworked a plank of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to allow employers to deny benefits to legally married gay couples in California and Massachusetts. ENDA now cites the Defense of Marriage Act in its definition of married couples recognized by the federal government. “It was unanimously agreed by all of us… that we had to put …

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HomoQuotable – Barney Frank

“The vast amount of human activity ought to be none of the government’s business. I don’t think it is the government’s business to tell you how to spend your leisure time. I cannot think there are many people who are in favor of using limited federal resources in law enforcement to arrest people because those people decide to smoke marijuana.” …

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New House Caucus On LGBT Rights

Via- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Democrat Tammy Baldwin joined the only other openly gay member of Congress, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), on Wednesday to unveil a new House caucus focusing on gay rights. The group, called the LGBT Equality Caucus, has received the support of 50 other members of the House, most of them from California, New York and the Northeast. None …

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King Of The Hill

The New York Times has posted a few of Barney Frank’s best bon mots in a column describing him as Capitol Hill’s “master of the one-liner.” Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, is a master of the one-liner — a self-described “left-handed, gay Jew” who is not accustomed to being in the majority on anything and yet is one of …

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Barney Frank To Introduce Bill Decriminalizing Small Amounts Of Marijuana

Via Politico: Rep. Barney Frank will soon introduce legislation to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, the Massachusetts Democrat said during an appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Frank offered no details on his legislation, and it’s not at all clear that he could ever get it to the House floor for a vote. A Frank aide was unaware …

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