2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom

This afternoon President Obama awarded 16 individuals the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Among those honored today were two individuals - Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King – who, among their many achievements, have also made important contributions to our nation's LGBT community.

We'd like to share the following statement from Rick Stafford, Chair of the LGBT American Caucus at the DNC and former State Chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party.

"Today, two extraordinary Americans, Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award for their historic contributions to society. As we celebrate their prestigious honor, we also recognize their unyielding commitment to the LGBT community.

"Harvey Milk, who served as a pioneer of the LGBT civil rights movement with his leadership and dedication to equal rights, and Billie Jean King, who helped champion gender equality issues not only in sports, but in all facets of public life both serve as a source of pride and inspiration for the worldwide LGBT community. We are reminded today by these two historical awards, as we are time and time again by the two recipients, of the invaluable contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans and their families make to our society.

"Today is truly a historic day for the LGBT community, and we commend President Obama for bestowing the nation's highest civilian honor on these two great Americans."

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