Rep. Barney Frank Marries Partner

Rep. Barney Frank made history once again Saturday when he tied the knot with his longtime partner Jim Ready in a ceremony that was officiated by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, reports the Boston Globe. “As you might imagine, at the request of the congressman, this service will be short and to the point,” said Patrick.

Making it clear this was no ordinary wedding, Patrick asked the couple whether they would love each other “under the Democrats or the Republicans, whether the slopes are powdery or icy, whether the book reviews are good or bad, for better or for worse, on MSNBC or on Fox.”

The wedding was a low-key ceremony in a Marriott hotel in Newton, Mass., which is part of Frank’s district. But the guest list of around 300 included lots of high-powered names, including  Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. John Kerry, and Rep. Bill Keating, reports the Washington Post. Frank, who has announced he isn’t running for reelection, made it clear earlier this year he wanted to get married while still a congressman.

“I do think, to be honest, if I was running for reelection, I might have tried to put the marriage off until after the election, because it just becomes a complication,” he told New York magazine in April “But I did want to get married while I was still in office. I think it’s important that my colleagues interact with a married gay man."

Frank, 72, met Ready, 42, at a political fundraiser in 2005, reports the New York Times. “I told him I had a crush on him for 20 years,” Ready said, noting that as a teenager he was inspired by Frank’s coming out.