(Newser)
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Barney Frank in 1987 became the first sitting member of Congress to announce he was gay, and yesterday he became the first to have a same-sex wedding, reports the Boston Globe. The retiring congressman, no stranger to controversy, married Jim Ready in front of 300 friends, family, and colleagues. Frank, 72, and Ready, 42, met in 2005 at a political fundraiser. "I told him I had a crush on him for 20 years," said Ready. They have been a couple since 2007, and announced their plans to get married earlier this year.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick officiated at the brief ceremony, which was closed to the media and featured customized vows, such as promising to love each other "on MSNBC or on Fox" and "in Congress or in retirement." "I'm thrilled for him," says Rep. James McGovern. "Massachusetts has always led the way, but Barney has been out front on civil rights issues for a while."
