Barney Frank to be subject of upcoming film

Openly gay U.S. senator Barney Frank is to be the focus of a documentary by New York filmmaker Bart Everly, according to The Boston Globe. The film, Let’s Get Frank, is set for release this fall pending the final editing and scoring, which Everly estimates will require another $50,000 to $70,000. Everly was granted unusual access to Frank’s life, so viewers can expect to see not only Frank’s professional life in Congress but also his private life, which he shares with boyfriend Sergio Pombo. Frank publicly came out in 1987, although it had been an open secret on Capitol Hill for quite some time. He discussed his decision with then-speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, who assembled his staff in order to prepare them for the media onslaught. Frank quotes O’Neill as announcing, “We better get ready, Barney Frank is going to come out of the room.” “No, no, Tip,” his staff responded. “The closet.”