Former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, known as one of the first openly gay members of Congress, died Tuesday night, according to media reports. He was 86 years old.
Frank entered hospice care at his home in Maine in April, his sister told NBC Boston.
Frank served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. He served as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee from 2007 to 201 and was the lead sponsor of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, which was enacted to provide financial stability after the 2008 mortgage crisis.
“He was such a great person, not just for Massachusetts, but for the entire country. This is very sad for us,” Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters at the Massachusetts State House on May 20. “He stood up exceptionally and was a voice for so many people who didn’t have a voice. He once again brought about so many tremendous positive changes, not just for Massachusetts, not just for our state, but for our country. This is a huge loss for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and our country.” ”
In 1987, Frank became the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay. Twenty-five years later, in 2012, he became the first MP to marry his long-time partner Jim Reddy.
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
