The former Massachusetts congressman praised California U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters for her decades of LGBTQ+ allyship at a recent PFLAG awards ceremony.The AdvocateBy Christopher WigginsNovember 20 2025With LGBTQ+ people facing intensifying political hostility, PFLAG National gathered about 100 supporters Tuesday evening at the American Federation of Teachers headquarters in Washington, D.C., for its annual “Love Takes Justice” reception. Former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, a gay political icon, made a rare public appearance to celebrate a friend he knew from his time in Congress.This year’s honoree was Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the California Democrat, who received the PFLAG National Champion of Justice Award. The honor places Waters in a lineage that includes the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis; Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin; then-Rep., now Colorado Gov. Jared Polis; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; and fellow Californian Rep. Barbara Lee, who received last year’s award during a gathering on Capitol Hill. That event, held in September, before the 2024 election, also honored AFT President Randi Weingarten with the PFLAG National Flag Bearer Award for her work on inclusive education and opposition to book bans.
But we remember! We don't forget getting stabbed in the back.
Frank, 85, took the stage with the mix of wit, political clarity, and historical memory that has made him one of the movement’s most enduring voices. Sitting in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank, he began by thanking PFLAG “for the enormous good work you do,” joking about aging, “losing a body part here for the last few years,” and quipping that he would likely outlive “two of the things that have sustained me for most of my life — newspapers and my spine.” But his humor was the prelude to a deeper assessment of the political alliances that have shaped LGBTQ+ rights for decades.
Frank drove the knife in and twisted it!
In 2007 I went down to Washington DC to lobby in favor of the gender inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Everyone was so lovey dovey, but one lone voice said... watch out for the HRC!
You see after that speech Frank withdrew us from the bill and the HRC changed their position on the non-inclusive bill to approving the bill without out is included. Frank twisted the knife by saying that we haven't earn the right to be on the bill!
He said, "We’d make even more progress if the transgender community was willing to do the hard political work. And not, frankly, think they can just talk a few leaders into handing this to them.”
However back in 1994 Phyllis Frye and Karen Kerin went to Washington, D.C., to attempt to speak before the Senate Hearings on ENDA.
We have a long memory.
Will never forget those days. Of interest is the speech I gave in 1999 when Sylvia Rivera came to town for a Saturday Ct. Stonewall Congress. In it I denounced Barney and Donna Redwing and of course HRC. I will soon be publishing it again on my blog in a tribute to Carolyn Gabel Brett one of the directors of the Stonewall Foundation. The reason we brought Sylvia to town was nasty letters appeared in the Metroline denouncing drag queens, trans people and the bi community. We all responded with full force. I will let you know when I publish the piece and you can take a look at the tape of Carolyn, me, and of course Sylvia speaking at the congress. I still turn a side eye at the mere mention of HRC and do not trust them even if they say, "we are good." I guess I should be thankful when others "see the light" but I always wonder where we as a people would be if folks didn't have to take so long to let the little light of ours shines bright. What harm was done to our people while they were seeking? Be well Diana and Keep Working.
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