As he approaches his 70th birthday at the end of this month, Barney Frank is marveling at the progress the LGBT community has experienced during his political career and giving most of the credit to the many Americans who have come out in the last couple of decades.  In an interview with the Windy City Times, Frank said our victories are coming from greater visibility:

“Part of it is, you can’t hide and win the fight at the same time,” said Frank, who has represented Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District since 1981.

“The fact that the American people now know who we are, and that we are relatives and friends, customers and teammates, students and teachers, barbers, lawyers and policemen, etc. Coming out has helped us, so [ non-LGBT ] people realize we are them, too.”

Frank also said he has high hopes for the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  Both could very well happen this year, he said.

“In less than 20 years, I think [ LGBT issues ] will be substantially over; that is, we will have full legal equality. It may even be less if we make the same rate of progress,” Frank added.

He came out during his third term in the House in 1987, a day he often characterizes as “the most important day of my life, and the least important of everyone else’s.”  Since coming out Frank has dedicated a great deal of his time and energy to helping LGBT groups and other openly gay candidates raise money to fight for equality, and though he is clearly among the greatest champions for LGBT equality to serve in Congress, he’s never sugar-coated the chances of achieving major legislative goals.  That hasn’t endeared him to some activists impatient for change, but they’ve always been able to count on his honest opinions.

Frank will speak at the 10th annual Victory Fund Champagne Brunch next month in Washington, D.C.  This signature event raises money to support openly LGBT candidates for public office at all levels of government.  The event is sold out, but a waiting list is available.