President Joe Biden has used some of his remaining time as president to honor two LGBTQ+ activists with Presidential Citizens Medals.
Biden honored two marriage equality activists Evan Wolfson and Mary Bonauto with the medal, the second highest honor that can be awarded to civilians.
The Presidential Citizens Medal dates back to President Richard Nixon’s era. In 1969, Nixon created the honor to award to U.S. citizens who had “performed exemplary deeds or services for his or her country or fellow citizens,” according to LGBTQ Nation.
Both Bonauto and Wolfson made great contributions to LGBTQ+ activism. Bonauto acts as senior director of Civil Rights and Legal Strategies at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law). Bonauto made history when she argued before the Supreme Court in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges which legalized marriage equality federally back in 2015.
Bonauto released a statement on receiving the honor stating: “It is an astonishing honor to receive this recognition, and to be in the company of other incredible individuals who have had such a significant impact on the lives of Americans. The Presidential Citizens Medal represents something fundamental: that we each have a role to play in fulfilling our country’s promises of equality, dignity, and freedom.” Before she appeared before the Supreme Court, Bonauto represented cases for marriage equality in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Wolfson founded Freedom to Marry, a civil rights organization which led the national strategy for legalizing same-sex marriage. LGBTQ Nation reports, Wolfson worked to lay the groundwork for the Obergefell case, mobilizing as many states as possible to expand LGBTQ+ union rights. He’s been working in marriage equality activism for over 32 years. The White House honors him for “pioneering a political playbook for change and sharing its lessons, even now, with countless causes worldwide.”
“This Medal is a tribute to the transformative democratic work we all did together, and to the power of hope, strategy, determination, and love,” said Wolfson in a statement. “ As we prepare to mark 10 years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling ensuring marriage for same-sex couples nationwide, I”m honored to see the profoundly positive impact that the freedom to marry has had for so many families across the country, and for the LGBTQ community and American people as a whole.”
The White House also honored 18 other recipients with medals, including Liz Cheney and Eleanor Smeal.
