Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...Harvey Milk, Billie Jean King given Presidential Medal of Freedom
(Washington) President Barack Obama today named gay civil rights pioneer Harvey Milk and tennis great (and open lesbian) Billie Jean King as two of 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
America’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
From the White House press release:
“This year’s awardees were chosen for their work as agents of change. Among their many accomplishments in fields ranging from sports and art to science and medicine to politics and public policy, these men and women have changed the world for the better. They have blazed trails and broken down barriers. They have discovered new theories, launched new initiatives, and opened minds to new possibilities.
President Obama said, “These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way.
“Their relentless devotion to breaking down barriers and lifting up their fellow citizens sets a standard to which we all should strive. It is my great honor to award them the Medal of Freedom.”
President Obama will present the awards at a ceremony on Wed., Aug. 12.”
Other awardees include Nancy Goodman Brinker, the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading breast cancer awareness organization; Stephen Hawking, the internationally-recognized theoretical physicist; Sen. Edward Kennedy; Desmund Tutu; Chita Rivera; Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland; and Sidney Poitier.
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King was an acclaimed professional tennis player in the 1960s and 1970s, and has helped champion gender equality issues not only in sports, but in all areas of public life. King beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, then the most viewed tennis match in history. King became one of the first openly lesbian major sports figures in America when she came out in 1981. Following her professional tennis career, King became the first woman commissioner in professional sports when she co-founded and led the World Team Tennis (WTT) League. The U.S. Tennis Association named the National Tennis Center, where the US Open is played, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006.
Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. Milk encouraged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens to live their lives openly and believed coming out was the only way they could change society and achieve social equality. Milk, alongside San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, was shot and killed in 1978 by Dan White, a former city supervisor. Milk is revered nationally and globally as a pioneer of the LGBT civil rights movement for his exceptional leadership and dedication to equal rights.
This is a delightful token towards our community… it may not be change, but it’s progress.
We’ve got out foot in the door, now it’s time to break it down!
http://www.citizenzero.us
I am pleased to see the Presdential medal awarded to two American Heroes from the LGBT community, but the President must also deliver on their dream– equality! Nothing more and nothing less!
>King became one of the first openly lesbian major sports figures in America when she came out in 1981.
Why is it that I don’t remember this happening? And I was following the sport at the time?
Regardless of when she came out, she deserves the award for all the pioneering Title IX and women’s rights work she did. I read an excellent book about the Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova rivalry called “The Rivals” (I was a Chris fan and modeled my game after her…GEEZ, how did I not know I was a gay guy?!), and in the background of the book is King doing *everything* to get things rolling for the women athletes. King would organize everything, and Chris and Martina would show up once in a while.
That’s a slight exaggeration, but it’s meant to honor King’s hard work more than to dis the other two.
Trace Eggers,
Does pandering refer to recognizing the gay community or to recognizing the opponents of our community? Obama is a master indeed. He has pandered in both directions, depending on who is thinking about his pandering. What constitutes pandering is clearly in the mind and eyes of the beholder(s).
For the first time in how many years, not one but TWO GLBT icons are honored by the man who holds the highest elected office in the nation and all you can say is, “Not good enough.” How pathetically sad for all of us.
And James Martin: do some research into DADT. You might find that it cannot simply be revoked through presidential order because it is a LEGISLATIVE policy. Or don’t you care about giving the president unprecedented powers? (That which is given can also be taken away.) Also, take a gander at the latest civil rights legislation. Obama actually IS trying to include GLBT citizens. But this is the catch of democracy: sometimes people lose. Ask yourself whether you are willing to sacrifice the whole of the democratic process just so that *you* can have *your* version of equality. If the answer is yes, you need to do a little comprehensive reading. I suggest that you start with the Third Reich and move on to the history of the Bush Administration.
Thanks. Now how about some civil rights?
This man Obama is a clever orator, a cheerleader, a rah, rah guy, but Bush WOULD NEVER HAVE RECOGNIZED BILLIE JEAN OR HARVEY MILK. He is doing so when Schwartzeneggar is trying to squash Harvey Milk Day in California.
However, as much as we thank Obama for these “nice little crumbs” from his table, we are not going to be silent and we are going to remind him that we want real progress on many of our issues over token awards and face time with him.
This is all well and good but will Billie Jean get to go to the white house for a wine spritzer?
More awards from straight people telling us who is a good gay and who isn’t, just what we need.
Take this medal but you can’t get married.
I to suspect that Harvey Milk is not shedding a tear because he is being honored, but rather is shedding many tears because a President who promised so much is doing so little to achieve the goals for which Harvey gave his life. Harvey Milk deserves this honor. His memory demands more!
This President is a master and fluff and pandering.
I really miss that man in a ponytail handing me his campaign literature, all the while apologizing for his “propaganda.” When Harvey Milk died, San Francisco began losing its soul.
That’s fine, President Obama. Now, when you sign an executive order ending don’t ask don’t tell? And when will you tell Congress to amend the Civil Rights Act to include the sexual minorities? So much to be done and all he does is give out medals. I’m losing my patience with the man.
Who better to receive such a prestigious award and accolades than two fighters for freedom and equality, Billie Jean King and Harvey Bernard Milk. While each sought acceptance and an end to discrimination for gay people in their own way, they have continued to shine as beacons of hope for all people whether it be because of race, religion, gender, or any amount of issues that separate people for no sane reason whatsoever. Harvey along with the host of other freedom fighters through the ages, surely must be smiling and dropping a tear from his special place amongst the angels!
Billie Jean opened up sports for women and probably had something to do with Title IV being passed. We are where we are thanks in large part to her.
I still remember rooting for her to beat Riggs and what a match it was!