Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

8-29-89 . . . Barney Frank, a United States Representative from Massachusetts, has admitted publicly that he hired a male prostitute and subsequently employed the man as a personal assistant. Frank, a liberal Democrat, announced a couple of years ago that he is a homosexual, but it didn’t seem to bother his constituents, for they have reelected him at least once. This latest incident, however, may change their minds about him, for it calls his judgment and moral scruples into question. According to Frank, he got in touch with the man through a gay newspaper. The man had advertised his services by claiming to have “hot buns and a large endowment” (!). Following this initial liaison, Frank employed the man as a personal assistant or “gopher”—someone who runs errands for a fee. It’s not clear whether they continued to have sex during this period; Frank denies it. He says that he was trying to “rehabilitate” the man. As you can imagine, conservatives are having a field day with the incident. Robert Novak [1931-2009] says that Frank is a sleazeball and pervert who should be drummed out of Congress for ethical violations. Conservatives insist that their attacks on Frank have nothing to do with gay-bashing; they would make the same arguments, they say, if a heterosexual member of Congress hired a female prostitute. As for me, I’m more interested in the drama and in what it says about our political culture than in making judgments about Frank. I do admire him as a politician. He’s articulate, hardworking, and committed to liberalism. I wonder if [sic; should be “whether”] this recent incident will cause his demise as a politician and public figure. Time will tell. [Frank, now 69, is still a member of Congress.]