Barney Frank To Marry

Retiring congressman Barney Frank will wed his longtime partner in his home state of Massachusetts.

A Frank spokesman confirmed the news to Politico Thursday that the liberal lawmaker is now engaged to Jim Ready. The pair don't appear to have set a date, but the spokesman said when the ceremony does take place, it will occur in the Bay State. Massachusetts is one of six states that allows gays to wed (as does the District of Columbia).

Ready and Frank met at a 2005 fundraiser in Maine, and reportedly began dating at the start of 2007, after Ready's previous partner passed way. The Hill with more:

Ready, like many political spouses, has occasionally found himself in the headlines. He was arrested in 2007 for growing marijuana outside his Maine home; Frank was present at the time he was arrested. Ready later pleaded guilty to a fine for civil possession, and related charges were dropped.

Frank publicly disclosed that he was gay in 1987, becoming the first openly gay member to serve in Congress. This past November, he announced that he would not seek a 17th term in the House and would instead retire.