Barney Frank Compares 'Ironic' Al Qaeda And Tea Party Criticisms

Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was recently condemned by al Qaeda publication Inspire Magazine for being gay, but he's not upset. Instead, he said, he finds it ironic.

In an interview with BuzzFeed, Frank compared the al Qaeda criticism to the responses he's received from conservative Americans, saying it reminded him of the way the tea party reacted when he married his partner.

"I wonder how the right wing in America feels about being aligned with al-Qaeda," Frank said. "There is an irony that the most active anti-gay [groups] are al-Qaeda and the American right-wing."

Inspire Magazine's most recent issue spotlighted the issue of gay marriage, criticizing "the gay congressman" along with President Barack Obama for his support of marriage equality. The al Qaeda-produced English-language publication is intended to egg on wannabe terrorists by educating them on how to cause harm to their communities. The magazine has been linked to the Boston Marathon bombing and may have helped Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev assemble explosive devices.

Frank, who retired this year after 16 terms in Congress, married his longtime partner, Jim Ready, in July. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) officiated the ceremony, which was attended by an array of politicians, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The former congressman has received hostile backlash from conservative groups like tea party because of his sexual orientation and support of marriage equality.