Barney Frank Engaged to Partner Jim Ready

Barney Frank is getting married. The longtime congressman, who announced that he was retiring last year, will be getting married to his partner Jim Ready in Massachusetts.

Frank and Ready have not released any other details about the wedding.

Frank served as a congressman in Massachusetts, where gay marriage has been legal since 2004, for 32-years. Frank will be not be seeking re-election and is set to leave congress next winter. It’s unclear if Frank will get married while he is still a member of the United States Congress. CNN notes that if the wedding occurs before Frank leaves office he will be the first sitting member of congress to marry a member of the same sex.

Frank, 71, and Ready, 42, met about 6-years ago at a political fundraiser. A few weeks ago, Frank told Charlie Rose:

“I have a partner now. I’m in love for the first time in my life.”

Frank and Ready have tried to keep their relationship quiet but it has made it into the public eye a few times. Ready mocked Frank’s Republican challenger Sean Bielat after a debate in 2010 and in 2007 Ready was arrested for having pot plants in his home.

Are you happy for Barney Frank?

Over the years, Frank has had many opportunities to weigh in on gay marriage. Here are Barney Frank quotes about gay rights.

“Gay people have a different role than other minority groups…Very few black kids have ever had to worry about telling their parents that they were black.”

“They’re (congressional opponents) saying that my ability to marry another man somehow jeopardizes heterosexual marriage. Then they go out and cheat on their wives. That doesn’t jeopardize heterosexual marriage? It’s nonsense.”

“There is a correlation between people who attack same-sex marriage and have difficulty maintaining their own.”