doi:10.7916/dk3j-7v13Oral history interview with Barney Frank, 2020Frank, Barney, 1940-oral historiesmixed materialPresidents--United StatesHate crimes--Law and legislation--United StatesSame-sex marriage--Law and legislation--United StatesDiscrimination in employment--Law and legislation--United StatesAIDS (Disease)--Government policy--United StatesGay military personnel--Government policy--United StatesLegislators--United StatesGlobal Financial Crisis,--United StatesGay rights--United StatesMassachusetts Politics and governmentFrank, Barney, 1940-Obama, BarackEndean, SteveHuman Rights Campaign FoundationUnited States. CongressUnited States. Congress (111th : 2009-2010)United States. Consumer Financial Protection BureauUnited StatesDodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection ActDon't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010Barney Frank, who represented Massachusetts's 4th district in the House of Representatives from 1981 to 2013, discusses his career in politics, with particular focus on his efforts in support of LGBT rights and contributions to financial regulation in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Frank describes his life as a gay representative in Massachusetts and in Washington during the period of his service, and recounts significant events and initiatives with which he was involved in pursuit of LGBT rights, including his work with Steve Endean and the Human Rights Campaign, the HIV/AIDS crisis, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), the issuance and repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. Frank provides insights to the strategic and political concerns of the Obama White House and of leading figures in the 111th Congress in their approach to LGBT civil rights policy, outlining the delicate balance between the pursuit of marriage equality, equality in the military, and employment non-discrimination. Frank also describes his work on financial regulation, focusing on the challenge of keeping regulatory agencies abreast of financial innovation in the private sector, and on the need for regulation of financial activities, in addition to, or instead of, financial institutions. Frank provides details about the development and implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, including comment on the inclusion of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the bill. He also talks about the changing character of Republican opposition during the period of the Obama presidency, and the wisdom of pursuing bipartisan legislation amid this political context