Barney Frank, Former Massachusetts Congressman and Dodd-Frank Co-Author, Dies at 86

Barney Frank, the former Massachusetts congressman who was a pioneering figure for gay rights and a co-author of the most sweeping financial reform law since the Great Depression, has died. He was 86. Frank died late Tuesday at his home in Ogunquit, Maine, according to his former campaign manager and close friend, Jim Segel. He had entered hospice care in April with congestive heart failure.

Frank served 16 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1981 to 2013, representing suburbs of Boston. He was known for his sharp wit, combative debating style, and focus on issues affecting marginalized communities. He is survived by his husband, Jim Ready, and three siblings.

A defining aspect of Frank’s legacy was his role as a trailblazer for LGBTQ rights in national politics. After decades of grappling with his sexuality, he publicly came out as gay in 1987, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to do so voluntarily. In 2012, he married Ready, making him the first incumbent congressman to enter into a same-sex marriage.

In an interview from hospice care in April, Frank expressed hope that he would be remembered for advocating a pragmatic form of politics. He said the best...