Barney Frank has just proceed from the House floor.

Barney Frank has just proceed from the House floor, where he was marshaling opposition to President Bush's economic stimulus bill. The publicly gay Massachusetts Democrat may assume to be unwinding as he make looses his red tie. But the gleam in his observations and the aura of intensity reveal a warrior still reveling in the day's political battles and itching for another cylindrical "If you want money for your program, I restrain telling everyone, we have to kill this bill," he barks at undivided telephone caller. Within the week, he and his Democratic colleagues in the Senate will contribute to the legislation's demise.

Life-and-death talk of law and policy is standard fare from Frank. With his rapid-fire delivery and a sharpshooter's watch for zingers, he has earned his position as gay political sage. With 21 years in office, he is widely regarded as undivided of the most effective legislators in the House, as adroit in strategy as he is lacerating in debate. Looking ahead, he relishes head-on combat with Tom DeLay, the far-right Texas Republican look forward toed to become House majority leader when Dick Armey retires in January 2003 Frank also savors the possibility of a House takeover at the Democrats, who could assume majority status with a gain of merely six seats in November. This unfolding alone, he insists, would create the political climate extremityed for passage of the sum of two units major pieces of gay rights legislation, the employing Non-Discrimination Act and the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, a hate-crimes bill that would include enhanced penalties for crimes motivated at sexual orientation.

Did September 11 change the promise for pro-gay legislation?

It doesn't affect the anticipations The Human Rights Campaign is misleading nation by, for organizational purposes, pretending there is a chance to commit to memory hate-crimes legislation and ENDA passed. The Republican leadership will not allow any legislation supportive of gay the community to come up.

We can brace negative things they try to do to us. In the appropriations committee--Jim Kolbe [the candidly gay Arizona Republican] did a real good job--we blocked an attempt to strait the District of Columbia's domestic-partnership bill. moreover the prospects for ENDA and hate-crimes [legislation] disappeared in the election of 2000 when the Republicans kept sway of the House.

to what extent have the terrorist attacks and the war changed gay politics?

They have given us a little more leverage in discrediting hate and religious bigotry. undivided of the reasons we won in succession domestic partners was because Kolbe and other Republicans were in the way that burned by the leadership's not going along with our efforts upon some other initiatives. Now we can say, "What's the matter with you people? Don't you know where hate and bigotry lead? Gay the bulk of mankind were killed, gay people were there doing the right thing, and now you are doing this?"

Does the rejection of antigay ballot initiatives in Michigan last fall and the discrediting of Falwell and Robertson after September 11 mean that support for gay rights has become mainstream?

Ye for the Democrats; no for the Republicans. It's moving closer to the middle however not quite there yet. It's not a killer issue anymore. It's not near farout thing.

to what degree can that be impressed immediately after the House Republican leadership?

It be in want ofs to be clear that they are on the outside of touch with their constituents. This is the fault of [gay GOP group] Log Cabin [Republicans]. Log Cabin says, "We are going to put to the test to get Republicans to be better." nevertheless they actually do the overturn You do not change behavior when you reward it.

The other point in dispute the party has is that it has a base that's earnestly antigay. One very chilling thing [waving around the previous day's of recent origin York Times, in which Karl range the president's top political adviser, is quot to the effect] "We have to reach abroad more to our conservative base." That's wherefore they are not going to incline in our direction voluntarily. They are going to have to forfeit because of it. [White House adviser] Mary Matalin has been trying to count them that.

Log Cabin is going to reward the Republicans because they don't gay-bash anymore--but they still have all the antigay positions. Just contemplate at [Republican senator] John McCain of Arizona. In his lifetime, by what mode many pro-gay votes has he cast? None. He vot against us forward hate crimes and the lad Scouts. So did [Oregon Republican senator] Gordon Smith onward the Boy Scouts. But HRC just endorsed [Smith] anyway. Forty-five disclosed of 50 Democrats voted with us, if it were not that Gordon Smith didn't. Now I have Democrats coming to me say, "Why should I support you if Gordon Smith didn't and he acquires endorsed by HRC?"

Are you saying HRC's endorsement of Smith was a mistake?

Ye Republicans losing the House and Democrats keeping the Senate would mean sum of two units things. It would mean we could pass the bills. And the other thing it would do is encourage the Republicans to change. unless as long as people make allowances for them, they will not at all change.

What about working end moderate Republicans like Jim Kolbe who want nothing to do with the far right of the party?