Barney Frank, the longtime Democratic congressman and gay rights pioneer, has died at 81. - Frank was the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay in 1987.
- He married Jim Ready in 2012, becoming the first incumbent lawmaker to marry a same-sex partner. - He chaired the House Financial Services Committee and co-authored the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.
- Frank died late Tuesday in Ogunquit, Maine, after entering hospice in April with congestive heart failure. His legacy includes advancing LGBT rights and shaping financial regulation, though he warned against forcing progressive litmus tests on voters.