Barney Frank weds partner, becomes first U.S. Congressman to enter into same-sex marriage

BOSTON — Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) on Saturday wed his partner of five years, James Ready, becoming the first sitting member of the U.S. Congress to enter into a same-sex marriage.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) officiated the private ceremony, which was attended by family, invited guests and political luminaries including Nancy Pelosi, top Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Niki Tsongas, a Massachusetts Democratic representative.

Frank had told Reuters earlier that he and his husband were not going to allow members of the media.

In his remarks, Gov. Patrick quipped that Frank, 72, and Ready, 42, had vowed to love each other through Democratic and Republican administrations alike, and even through appearances on Fox News.

“Barney was beaming,” said U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who attended the ceremony.

He added that Frank, a champion of gay rights and the sweeping reform of Wall Street, shed a tear during the ceremony. After exchanging their vows, Frank and Ready embraced each other, he said.

“It was no different than any other wedding I’ve attended when you have two people who are in love with each other,” Green said.

The couple, together since 2007, had announced via a press release from Frank’s office in January they would marry shortly before Frank retired at the end of his current term.

Ready, who lives in Ogunquit, Maine, is a carpenter by profession. He and the congressman met at a political fundraiser in Ready’s home state of Maine.