Barney Frank

Barney Frank has the distinction (some say) of being the brightest person in Congress. He's also the funniest. Today there is a clip of a reporter interviewing him about how the repeal of DADT is going to impact the troops -- asking what about straight soldiers having to shower with homosexuals?

How shocking, Barney mocked. "What do you think happens in gyms all over the United States. In the Congress? In colleges? People shower with homosexuals everyday. . . We don't get ourselves dry cleaned; we tend to take showers when we go to the gym, when we play sports."

"The idea that there's something new about showering with homosexuals . . . remember, under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the policy was that you would be showering with homosexuals. You just weren't supposed to know which was which. So there was no change in that. The notion that knowing that someone is gay, as opposed to knowing that there are gay and lesbian people, you just aren't supposed to know who they are, that somehow that makes a difference, is a bit silly."

The reporter persisted, and Barney finally retorted: "Do you think that gyms should have separate showers for gay and straight people?"

Good point. Game. Set. Match.

Ralph