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ljrinaldi's review
4.0
Barney Frank was the first openly gay member of the U.S. Congress.
But he didn't start out that way. For much of his political career he was very, very closeted. It wasn't as though he didn't support gay causes, the way some closeted members of congress did. If anything, he championed them. But he wouldn't come out, because he didn't think he could still be effective in politics, or that it would knock him out of office, because, when he started, it was unheard of to have a gay member of congress, the same way it was unheard of to have gays in the military.
And so he stayed in the closet, and did his work, first as a mayoral aid, and then as a member of the state legislature, and then finally as a congressman.
And although he helped Clinton come up with the Don't Ask Don't Tell rule for the military that would allow gays and lesbians to remain, as long as they were discrete, it didn't turn out quite the way he wanted.
This whole graphic novel was written by one of his former congressional interns, who got to hear many of the stories written about, because apparently Barney told them to his staff.
Amazing man, and it is too bad he is not in congress. I never realized that he left because he got jerrymandered out. He could have stayed, but figured it just wasn't worth the hassle at that point.
Interesting view of recent history, told from the viewpoint of Barney, and how it affected him, and how he had an effect on it.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
But he didn't start out that way. For much of his political career he was very, very closeted. It wasn't as though he didn't support gay causes, the way some closeted members of congress did. If anything, he championed them. But he wouldn't come out, because he didn't think he could still be effective in politics, or that it would knock him out of office, because, when he started, it was unheard of to have a gay member of congress, the same way it was unheard of to have gays in the military.
And so he stayed in the closet, and did his work, first as a mayoral aid, and then as a member of the state legislature, and then finally as a congressman.
And although he helped Clinton come up with the Don't Ask Don't Tell rule for the military that would allow gays and lesbians to remain, as long as they were discrete, it didn't turn out quite the way he wanted.
This whole graphic novel was written by one of his former congressional interns, who got to hear many of the stories written about, because apparently Barney told them to his staff.
Amazing man, and it is too bad he is not in congress. I never realized that he left because he got jerrymandered out. He could have stayed, but figured it just wasn't worth the hassle at that point.
Interesting view of recent history, told from the viewpoint of Barney, and how it affected him, and how he had an effect on it.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
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