Barney Frank's week of gay zingers [transcripts & video]

''By the way, I‘ve always wondered what would have been the situation if I or another gay or lesbian official had said, We have this important idea. Let‘s exempt gay and lesbian
people from having to defend the country. You talk about people complaining about special rights.
''... they had conferred on us over our objection the special right of all time, whether there was a draft or not. But yes, I was reading the comments, one of the—a young Marine, an 18-year-old, who said, Well, I‘m against this because, you know, we‘re macho. We‘re Marines, and gay men are girly.
''Now, I will confess that I left my purse at home. And I‘m sorry I didn‘t live up to his prediction.

''But having—giving gay and lesbian people a chance to show, in the most important and challenging thing you can do in America, that we really are like everybody else, except for our choices about what we do in intimate moments ... that‘s a very important breakthrough. This will do more to help us destroy the myth. And you know, look, reality is the enemy of prejudice, and this is one more step in enabling us to present a reality that will help diminish prejudice across the board.''

Massachusetts Senator Barney Frank speaking with Chris Matthews on MSNBC's ''Hardball'' about gay members of the military providing a layer of ''assimilation'' seen by other minority groups in America during the 20th Century. (MSNBC)

''Four years ago, a Republican running for Congress in Indiana said don't vote for his Democratic opponent, because if he won, Nancy Pelosi would become Speaker, and she would let me enact the radical homosexual agenda.... So let me own up to that agenda.
''For those who are worried about the 'radical homosexual agenda,' let me put them on notice: Two down, two to go.''

''It's to be protected against violent crimes driven by bigotry. It's to be able to get married. It's to be able to get a job. And it's to be able to fight for our country.

Sen. Barney Frank at a press conference last week regarding DADT repeal. (via YouTube)

''[fake gasp] Showering with homosexuals?! What do you think happens in gyms all over America? What do you think happens in the House of Representatives? Of course people shower with homosexuals. What a silly issue!
''What do you think goes wrong when people shower with homosexuals? Do you think it's the spray makes it catching? People shower with homosexuals in college dormatories, in gyms where people play sports, in gyms elsewhere -- it is a complete non-issue....
''To accept the principle that homosexuals can't shower with other people is a degree of discrimination that goes far beyond this. I mean, uh -- we don't get ourselves dry cleaned....
''Remember, under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' by the way, the policy was that you would be showwering with homosexuals, you just weren't supposed to know which was which....''
''Do you think there ought to be separate showers at gyms? If not, then why in the military?''

Barney Frank responding to a reporter from CNSNews, a website that bills itself as "The Right News. Right Now." While trying to corner Senator Frank on the issue of sexual attraction and personal hygiene in the military, Frank did say that male and female personnel showering together "would disrupt people." (CNSNews)