Quote

I was still closeted, but from the day I decided to run for office, knowing that I was gay, I decided that I would, of course, still be closeted but that I would work very hard for gay rights. It would be totally dishonorable, being gay, not to do that. So I had that as kind of a secondary agenda.

Barney Frank

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Barney Frank
Age: 84
Born: 1940
Born: March 31
Former U.S. Representative
Politician
Bayonne
New Jersey
Barnett Frank
Stills
Totally
Still
Decided
Hard
Office
Closeted
Work
Courses
Dishonorable
Kind
Course
Secondary
Would
Knowing
Agenda
Rights
Agendas
Running
Gay

More quotes by Barney Frank

Image
They have to convert our agenda into something aggressive. Two guys wanting to be happy together are invading their marriages. Helping a kid who's getting beaten up in school is promoting homosexuality. If you gave me a million dollars, I wouldn't know how to promote homosexuality.
Barney Frank
Image
Increasing inequality in income distribution in this country has broader policy implications, and there is also the growing problem of perverse incentives that result from executives receiving grossly disproportionate compensation based on decisions they themselves take.
Barney Frank
Image
Conservatives believe that from the standpoint of the federal government, life begins at conception and ends at birth.
Barney Frank
Image
The issue is not that morals be applied to public policy, it's that conservatives bring public policy to spheres of our lives where it should not enter.
Barney Frank
Image
And unless you think there is a serious chance you're going to jail, don't listen to your lawyer.
Barney Frank
Image
I will tell you, I'm a lousy cook, but I think I'm a pretty good judge of a good meal.
Barney Frank
Image
It seems to me that politicians ought to use the same words as other people.
Barney Frank
Image
Ronald Reagan believes in the free market like some people believe in unicorns.
Barney Frank
Image
I had always been interested in politics. I had assumed - for two reasons, being Jewish and being gay back in the late '50s, early '60s - that I would never be elected or anything, but I would participate as an activist.
Barney Frank
Image
We don't get ourselves dry cleaned.
Barney Frank
Image
There were a lot of Romneys. There's the Romney who was going to be better on gay rights than Ted Kennedy now there's a Romney who checks with Rick Santorum on that issue.
Barney Frank
Image
I have been mislabeled as a big advocate of low-income home ownership over rental.
Barney Frank
Image
I believe it is a good thing to get rid of Gaddafi. But does America have to do everything?
Barney Frank
Image
When I was here there was still a requirement that students had to swim 50 yards to graduate...because Harry Elkins Widener had drowned with the sinking of the Titanic. And it made me very grateful at the time that he had not gone down in a plane crash.
Barney Frank
Image
The problem with the war in Iraq is not so much the intelligence as the stupidity.
Barney Frank
Image
Lawyers are very, very good at keeping you out of prison, but they will sacrifice your reputation and credibility to do so.
Barney Frank
Image
I have this fear that one day there's going to be a fire in the Senate and there are only going to be 57 senators there and they’ll all die because they won't have 60 votes to allow themselves to leave the building.
Barney Frank
Image
Legislators have a formal set of responsibilities to work together, but there's no hierarchy.
Barney Frank
Image
What's troubling is that the Republicans to defend Mr. DeLay are weakening the ethics process.
Barney Frank
Image
I am very proud of the role I played in getting legal equality for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and in helping get rid of the prejudice by being visible about it, helping to block the conviction of Bill Clinton of impeachment.
Barney Frank