Barney Frank, one of the first openly gay members of Congress and the progressive Democratic namesake of the Dodd-Frank Act, died Tuesday night, according to media reports. He was 86.Frank had entered hospice care at his home in Maine in April, his sister told NBC Boston.Frank represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 2013. He served as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee from 2007 to 2011, and was a leading sponsor of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, enacted to provide financial stability following the 2008 mortgage crisis."He has been such a tremendous person not just for Massachusetts but for the entire country. This makes us very sad," Massachusetts state Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters at the Massachusetts State House on May 20. "He stood out and stood up and was a voice for so many people when they had no voice."A staunch liberal politician, Frank kept a finger on the political climate toward the end of his life. In his recently published book, "The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy," Frank wrote that Democrats have lost voters on economic and social issues and that the party should back away from issues like transgender rights.Who was Barney Frank?Born in Hudson County, New Jersey on March 31, 1940, Frank attended Harvard University for his undergraduate and law degrees. Prior to her service at the federal level, Frank was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1973 to 1980.Frank was an early supporter of progressive causes like prohibiting discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation.In a 2012 interview with New York Magazine, Frank said he decided to work hard for gay rights when running for office because "it would be totally dishonorable, being gay, not to do that."In 1987, Frank became the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay. And 25 years later, in 2012, he was the first member of Congress to enter a same-sex marriage with longtime partner Jim Ready."Barney Frank was nothing short of a trailblazer. At a time when being openly gay in public service could cost you everything, he chose visibility," Human Rights Campaign President Kelly Robinson said in a statement on May 20. "At a time when our community was being devastated by AIDS and too many leaders looked away, he demanded action. He helped pave the way for the repeal of 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,' stronger federal protections, marriage equality and a future where LGBTQ+ people could see themselves not just represented but leading at the highest levels of government."Frank also advocated for the middle class, bringing in money for local projects throughout Massachusetts.But his tenure also came with scandals.In 1989, Frank had an affair with a male sex worker who ran an escort service from Frank's apartment, illegal in Massachusetts.Many of Frank's critics also blamed him for his involvement in the 2008 housing crisis, as he was the chairman of the Financial Services Committee at the time.But not all saw him as responsible."In the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Barney Frank was the gravelly-voiced, smart-as-a-whip congressman who fought hard to get the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over the finish line," U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a statement on May 20. "His one-liners were wicked and wickedly funny. Barney delivered for working people, and the world is a poorer place without him."Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.