Barney Frank, former congressman and gay-rights pioneer, dies at 86
The former congressman was politically engaged until the end. As GBH reports, Even in hospice, Frank was actively working to spread the message of his forthcoming book, "The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy." (Image credit: KAREN BLEIER)
US Rep. Barney Frank,D-MA, chairman of the US House Financial Services Committee conducts hearings on "Financial Market Regulatory Restructuring." July 10, 2008 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Barney Frank, the liberal icon and gay-rights pioneer who represented Massachusetts in Congress for more than three decades, died Tuesday night at his home, according to a close friend who confirmed his death to member station GBH .
He was 86 years old and had been receiving hospice care for congestive heart failure.
Frank was the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out, and also the first to marry a same-sex partner. He says many of the conventional tactics they took to fight for gay-rights helped make "enormous progress" in a relatively short period of time.
Recently asked by GBH if he wished he could do over any part of his career, Frank replied: "I would have come out earlier."
Frank's last message for Democrats
Barney Frank speaks during PFLAG National's Love Takes Justice event at AFT Headquarters on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Paul Morigi/Getty Images/Getty Images hide caption
WBUR's Anthony Brooks spoke with Frank while in hospice at his home in Ogunquit, Maine, where he lives with his husband, Jim Ready.
In their conversation, Frank shared an urgent message for Democrats hoping to bounce back from Trump.
He says Democrats have a chance to defeat President Donald Trump's brand of right-wing populism, but only if the party embraces core economic issues instead of polarizing culture fights.
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