Rep. Barney Frank opposed San Francisco's gay marriage effort

[Freddie Stubbs]

BETH FOUHY

Associated Press


SAN FRANCISCO - Rep. Barney Frank said San Francisco's decision to challenge state law and grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples was a "distraction" that could damage efforts by gay rights advocates to defend the Massachusetts court decision legalizing gay marriage.

"I was sorry to see the San Francisco thing go forward," said Frank, an openly gay congressman from Massachusetts who shared his concerns with fellow Democrat and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom as the city prepared to begin marrying gays and lesbians last week.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Frank also expressed concern that the image of lawlessness and civil disobedience in San Francisco would pressure some in Congress to support a federal constitutional amendment banning gay unions.

Frank said he and other gay marriage advocates had hoped Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court decision upholding the right of same-sex couples to marry would serve as a national model for orderly, legal protection of gay marriage.

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