Openly gay and lesbian U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin, Jared Polis and David Cicilline praised their colleague, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., following his announcement that his current term in Congress will be his last. “Barney Frank was a groundbreaking pioneer and one of the most insightful, knowledgeable and humorous people ever to grace the halls of Congress,” said Polis, a Democrat from Colorado.

But on the local level, Rep. Barney Frank is a friend that took his time out last winter and called me to see how my Tampa City Council campaign was going. I know every congressman has a lot on their plate and to take time out to call someone he barely knows. “Thank You!”.

Barney complimented my efforts and said, “Keep up the good work!”

Top Marine Says Service Embracing Gay Ban Repeal
Since the lifting two months ago of a longstanding U.S. ban on gays serving openly in the military, U.S. Marines across the globe have adapted smoothly and embraced the change, says their top officer, Gen. James F. Amos, who previously had argued against repealing the ban during wartime. “I’m very pleased with how it has gone,” Amos said in an Associated Press interview during a week-long trip that included four days in Afghanistan, where he held more than a dozen town hall-style meetings with Marines of virtually every rank. He was asked about a wide range of issues, from his view of the Marine Corps’ future to more mundane matters such as why he recently decided to stop allowing Marines to wear their uniform with the sleeves rolled up.  www.Biggaynews.com