Barney Frank announced his retirement at the end of his current term, and this marks a massive change for the LGBT community and politics. Frank has been the very out gay politician, and he has also been the politician who happened to be gay.  He demonstrates how queer people are not only focused on a few “rights” issues- a perspective that the anti-gay hate experts perpetuate.

He isn’t leaving yet, and my guess is we have still to see him do some great work. And later, there will be plenty written about his efforts. Truth Wins Out has a small compilation of text and video that demonstrate some of TWO’s feelings about Frank. Their third point is the one I want to highlight here (emphasis is mine):

Rep. Frank made the following remarks at the enrollment ceremony in December 2010 where Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal law:

“Four years ago, a Republican running for congress in Indiana said… [that] if [his Democratic opponent] won, Nancy Pelosi would become speaker, and she would let me enact the ‘radical homosexual agenda.’ So let me own up to that agenda: it’s to be protected against violent crimes driven by bigotry, it’s to be able to get married, it’s to be able to get a job, and it’s to be able to fight for our country. For those who are worried about the ‘radical homosexual agenda,’ let me put them on notice: two down, two to go.”

Frank’s accomplishments cover a wide array from Health Care Reform to Finance Reform, yet he has never failed to be 100% there for our homosexual agenda.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O0h5Vtke3OA[/youtube]

What are your thoughts about Frank’s retirement?  Will it be a good thing or bad, and how do you think it will impact the fight for full equality? Leave a comment and let me know.