Frank Gives Obama A- On Gay Issues

Rep. Barney Frank said President Barack Obama has been performing well on gay rights issues, but takes umbrage with the president's lack of support for marriage equality.

Frank told The Hill that Obama's work to repeal "don' ask, don't tell," and his directive to the Department of Justice to stop arguing for the Defense of Marriage Act in court earns Obama an A-minus in his book. However, Frank also said Obama's silence in North Carolina last week on an upcoming vote on marriage equality was "not a surprise" but disappointing nonetheless.

"He hasn't yet said that he's for marriage [equality], so that's a problem," said Frank, who is retiring from office and planning to marry his partner by the end of the year.

Last month, President Obama made a statement against North Carolina's proposed ballot initiative that could ban marriage equality. A campaign spokesman issued a statement, expressing that "the President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples. Weeks later, his campaign issued a similar statement regarding another marriage ban ballot measure in Minnesota.