Barney Frank to LGBT Teens: You Are Making it Better

Rep. Barney Frank has recorded his second video for the It Gets Better Project this time concentrating on how, in terms of LGBT acceptance, things are changing because the younger generation is making it better.

In the video Frank says how grateful he is that he and his boyfriend can now go to dinner as a couple at the White House, and how this signifies the change of attitudes that is sweeping the country when it comes to LGBT rights. Franks also says he knows what it is like to be afraid of coming out, but that he really can say that life does get better:

“It gets better for two reasons. As you get older you deal with people who are more mature, with people who are not prone to the kind of problems frankly that teenagers inflict on each other. But it’s also getting better because of projects like this. And because of the courage of people of your generation. Because as we look at America: the younger people are, the less likely they are to be prejudiced and that’s to a great extent to your credit. Because gay and lesbian and bisexual and transgender youth all over America no longer hide the way my generation did. And by being honest about yourselves you’re liberating people from their prejudice.”

Watch the video below:

As noted above, this is the second It Gets Better video Rep. Frank of Massachusetts has participated in. In July Frank appeared in a video featuring all of the Democratic members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation. You can watch that here.

Don’t Suffer in Silence, Get Help

The Trevor Project runs a 24/7 helpline with trained counselors ready to listen if you or someone you know would like to talk about the issues dealt with in this post.

The Trevor Project Helpline number is 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (1-866-488-7386).

Trevor Project Links:

IMPORTANT: If you live outside America and require information on services in your country the International Association for Suicide Prevention carries information for crisis centers from across the globe. Please click here for those resources.

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Norma V.

2:10PM PDT on Sep 17, 2011

It gets better...the way to ensure this is to treat one another with respect and dignity.

September 17
send a green star

Sara S.

11:39AM PDT on Sep 15, 2011

Ellen M. I'm afraid Don is right. It's not exactly a secret nor libel when it was carried by ABC news and was the subject of an ethics committee. It was in 2006; Frank claimed he didn't know his lover at the time was running the ring from Frank's apartment.

Google: barney frank prostitution ring

Of course, this assumes that there is something inherently harmful about trading sex for money between consenting adults (with the further assumption that health standards are followed, no one is exploited, etc.)

September 15
send a green star

11:37AM PDT on Sep 15, 2011

Abbe A.

3:51AM PDT on Sep 14, 2011

at least he's courageous in this area

September 14
send a green star

Ellen M.

5:23PM PDT on Sep 13, 2011

I think Barney Frank was a great choice, and I love him and everythimg he stands for..and for those running their mouths w/out knowing what the Trevor project is about..it shows.
And to Don I...please let us know more...maybe the Pierce/ King County Sheriffs office knows more info than l give them credit for..if not you just engaged in some serious slander and "shared" it with 16 million of your closet friends, out of fear, spite, hate or ignorance. It doesn't really matter, they all go hand-in hand.
Wow, you could have actually screwed your own ass right into a lawsuit!
"If wishes were horses..."

September 13
send a green star

1:13PM PDT on Sep 13, 2011

Continued...

So, about those trans kids, Mr Frank. The ones you are telling "it gets better". For instance, the ones like my daughter, assigned as male at birth who've been fully accepted as girls since they were 5 or 6 years old and will be applying for their first job someday. Keep in mind that they typically cannot have surgery until they are perhaps 18.

How is she supposed to reconcile your message of "it gets better" with being told *by you* that she'll have to use the men's room for her bodily functions or even just to fix her hair?

Or that *you* were the one who crafted the terms with which she will be outed at work via your idea of an "inclusive" ENDA?

It gets better, indeed.

1:12PM PDT on Sep 13, 2011

A Barney Quote:

"'A little while later, I found Barney without a group of people around him, so I once again engaged him in conversation. 'So,' I said, 'does your support of transgender inclusion in the VAWA mean that you might be changing your mind about inclusion of gender-variant people in ENDA?' An innocent enough question, but you would have thought that I was threatening him with a loaded weapon. He got red in the face and started shouting, 'Never.'"

And this one, from his statement to the media regarding his latest wording for ENDA:

'Essentially, there are full protections for people who are transgender with a couple of provisos: One, the employer can ask for a gender consistent dress code. No mustaches and dresses. Two, people with one set of genitals do not have a legal right to get naked in front of the other set, is the basic way to put it. Some accommodation has to be made there. If you insist on the right for unrestricted access to bathrooms, we lose. And we're making some accommodations here. And we worked it out with the transgender community. We had people very upset when we raised it, it because clear we couldn't pass the bill without it.'"

So, about those trans kids, Mr Frank. The ones you are telling "it gets better". For instance, the ones like my daughter, assigned as male at birth who've been fully accepted as girls since they were 5 or 6 years old and will be applying for their first job one day soon. Keep in mind that they typically c