4. Barney Frank

Barney Frank was elected to the House of Representatives in 1980 when there were fewer than ten openly gay elected officials in the country. When he came out in 1987, he was met with equal parts support and animosity, but that didn't deter him from continuing his political career. Frank has been fighting for gay rights on the political front since 1972, even before he was out, making him one of the truly hallowed names in LGBT history.

In his own words: "Prejudice is based on ignorance. And the best way to counterbalance it is with a living example, with reality. At the time, of course there were gay politicians, but we had been very successful in hiding who we were. And by hiding we inadvertently helped perpetuate the stereotypes about us. So I had to do it [come out]." — to The Boston Globe