Barney Frank: America Will Oppose Future Aid To Uganda If "Kill Gays" Bill Passes

"I was pleased when the Financial Services Committee overwhelmingly, in a bipartisan way, voted in favor of my amendment urging the Secretary of the Treasury to oppose any financial assistance from multilateral development institutions to countries that persecute people on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or religious beliefs. In the discussion of the amendment I offered, I specifically mentioned the deeply troubling case of Uganda, which is now considering legislation to legally deprive people of these basic human rights. If the bill before the Ugandan parliament becomes law, it must be the policy of the United States government to oppose any aid to Uganda from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, or any other international financial institution of which we are a member." - Rep. Barney Frank, via press release.

Quote Of The Day - Barney Frank

"What do I say to the idea that this [DOMA] is a wedge issue? I say 'Hallelujah.' The fact that we've now evolved to the point where the Republicans are complaining about the fact that we introduced this bill because it causes them political problems is a great sign of progress. It used to be the other way around." - Rep. Barney Frank, in a Talking Points Memo piece speculating that gay rights is now a positive wedge issue for the Democrats.

House Committee Passes Bill Discouraging Financial Aid To Anti-Gay Nations

The U.S. House Financial Services Committee today approved Rep. Barney Frank's budget amendment that would discourage the granting of foreign aid to nations that engage in the "physical persecution" of their citizens on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identify. Michelle Garcia reports at the Advocate:

The text of the amendment reads: "The Committee urges Treasury to advocate that governments receiving assistance from the multilateral development institutions do not engage in gross violations of human rights, for example, the denial of freedom of religion, including the right to choose one’s own religion, and physical persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity." Frank cited Uganda, a beneficiary of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries program, as an example of a country that openly abuses its LGBT citizens. “The United States has a fairly influential voice in the development area," Frank said Tuesday. "And we should not be supportive of providing multilateral bank development funds going to the governments of countries which engage in the physical persecution of people because of their religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”

Frank's amendment will be added to the bill that describes the budgetary priorities of the Financial Services Committee. While it was passed out of committee with "nearly unanimous" support, it's unclear how the amendment will fare with the GOP House majority, many of whom already oppose foreign aid to some countries for differing reasons.

Rep. Barney Frank Rips Christian Network Reporter Over Dumbass DADT Question

Barney Frank On The Radical Homosexual Agenda: Two Down, Two To Go

Barney Frank: I'm Not A Girly Man

"I'll confess that I left my purse at home." Starts at 3:15.

Quote Of The Day - Barney Frank

“It’s one thing to have a gay person in the abstract. It’s another to see that person as part of a living, breathing couple. How would a gay presidential candidate have a celebratory kiss with his partner after winning the New Hampshire primary? The sight of two women kissing has not been as distressful to people as the sight of two men kissing. [And because of DOMA] it’s not clear that a gay president could use federal funds to buy his husband dinner. Would his partner have to pay rent in the White House? There would be no Secret Service protection for the paramour." - Rep. Barney Frank, responding to Jimmy Carter's contention that America is ready for a gay president.

Barney Frank Is Confident About DADT

The Senate vote is tomorrow.

Rep. Barney Frank On House Democrats' Rejection Of Obama's Tax Compromise

Frank: If DADT Doesn't Pass, Obama Has No Moral Right To Defend It In Court

Quote Of The Day - Rep. Barney Frank

"Next year there’s no chance of anything happening. There’s zero chance. We got five Republican votes out of 179 to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ The Republicans have become much more anti-gay in their voting patterns. There is zero chance of anything good happening with Republicans in control of the House." - Rep. Barney Frank, telling the Washington Blade that all LGBT rights bills are now dead in the water.

Frank goes on to dismiss GOProud as "people who have no interest in advancing gay causes," adding that they have "no influence whatsoever." GOProud paid for anti-Frank ads in support of his anti-gay opponent, Sean Bielat.

MASSACHUSETTS: Barney Frank Wins, GOProud Wastes Big Bucks Opposing Him

The best part about Barney Frank's win is that GOProud just pissed away a shitload of money running ads in support of anti-gay teabagger Sean Bielat, who infamously said that since short people don't complain about not getting into the military, queers should just shut the fuck up. Let's all turn and give GOProud our best Nelson Munz: HA HA!

Barney Frank Vs. Sean Bielat

As seen through the wingnut lens of Sean Hannity.

Log Cabin Republicans File Brief Requesting Lift Of Stay On DADT Overturn

Read the entire brief here (PDF). Lambda Legal has filed an amicus brief in support of the LCR. And so has Servicemembers United:

“Servicemembers United used the opportunity to submit a ‘Friend of the Court’ brief to advance the argument that our members, our organization, and the American public would be irreparably harmed if the stay is kept in place,” said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United. “Specifically, we argue that many of our members will permanently ‘age out’ of eligibility to enlist, re-enlist, or commission if the stay is not lifted quickly, among other issues.”

Speaking on the Michelangelo Signorile Show, yesterday Rep. Barney Frank called on the Obama administration to drop their appeal.

He said President Obama "hasn't handled this well," and that he's "been disappointed," referring to the "Don't ask, don't tell" debacle. He said he urged the president at a campaign stop in Massachusetts last week not to appeal Judge Virginia Phillips' ruling and injunction ending DADT, arguing that this is a different case than most laws which the administration must defend. Frank believes the president should drop the appeal, especially if Obama does not get a vote in the Senate in the lame duck session of Congress.

MASSACHUSETTS: Poll Shows Barney Frank Leading Sean Bielat By 13 Points

A just-released poll shows Rep. Barney Frank leading GOP candidate Sean Bielat by 13 points, a tighter margin than some had expected.

GOProud Endorsee Sean Bielat: There Is No Right To Serve In The Military

"There’s no absolute right to serve. Men under the height of 5 feet, 2 inches can’t serve — I don’t see anybody protesting. Where are the people standing in front of the White House, the short guys standing in front of the White House? You don’t see it. We understand that there’s no absolute right to serve in all these other areas." - Barney Frank's GOP opponent Sean Bielat, who has been endorsed by GOProud.

Towleroad's Steve Pep notes the response of the Boston Herald: "Hmm. ... On the other hand, vertically challenged people are not forced to pretend they’re tall, then drummed out once it’s discovered they’re short in spite of their service record."

New From Sean Bielat

Sean Bielat is trailing miles behind Rep. Barney Frank (10 to 25 points, depending on whose poll you believe), so today he takes a disco potshot at Frank via a woman in a fat suit.

Olbermann On DADT Ruling

Rep. Barney Frank joins Olbermann and Servicemembers United's Alex Nicholson, who was the plaintiff in the case.

SLIDESHOW: Victory Fund Brunch NYC

Today I attended the first annual Victory Fund brunch in NYC, where headliner Rep. Barney Frank talked at length about the difficulties we face in the repeal of DADT and even getting ENDA to a vote. Comedian Alec Mapa hosted, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn spoke, anti-Quinn activists protested outside, and a literal who's who of political homorati mingled over mimosas.

In the house: all the gay NYC council members, activist and event co-chair David Mixner, activist Corey Johnson, early DADT activist Joe Steffan, comedian Kate Clinton and her partner Urvashi Vaid, Reichen Lehmkuhl, actor Jack Noseworthy, former GLAAD head Neil Giuliano, and a boatload of probably similarly famous people that I don't know. I'll let you name them in the slideshow below, since I can't. Lots of ridiculously handsome men within. Full-screen versions of the below photos are here.

Homocons GOProud Endorse Rep. Barney Frank's GOP Opponent Sean Bielat

This just in from GOPRoud at Quisling Headquarters:

Today, GOProud, the only national organization representing gay conservatives and their allies, endorsed Republican Sean Bielat in his race to unseat Democrat Barney Frank in Massachusetts’s 4th Congressional District. “If we really want to protect gay jobs we don’t need to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act [ENDA], we need to fire Barney Frank,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director of GOProud. “From his perch atop the Financial Services committee, Barney Frank was one of the architects of the financial meltdown that cost millions of Americans – including gay and lesbian workers – their jobs. Sean Bielat is a common-sense conservative who supports policies that will grow our economy, create jobs, and improve the lives of all Americans, but especially gay and lesbian Americans.”

So in addition to opposing ENDA, GOProud supports a guy who wants to dismantle Social Security and Medicare, who opposes civil unions and same-sex marriage, and who has vowed to fight the repeal of DADT. GOProud and their supporters are no less the enemies of every LGBT American than the Family Research Council or Focus On The Family.