Today, President Joe Biden is honoring marriage equality activists Mary Bonauto and Evan Wolfson with the Presidential Citizens Medal. It’s the second highest honor that can be awarded to civilians.

The Presidential Citizens Medal is an award established by President Richard Nixon in 1969 awarded to a United States citizen “who has performed exemplary deeds or services for his or her country or fellow citizens.”

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Bonauto, who is the senior director of Civil Rights and Legal Strategies at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), argued before the Supreme Court in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges. The case legalized marriage equality in all 50 states in 2015.

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She began her advocacy by arguing to legalize same-sex marriage in northeastern states, including Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Wolfson, founder of the civil rights organization Freedom to Marry, led the national strategy for legalizing same sex marriage. He worked to generate support across every state in the country, legalizing it in as many states as possible, and ultimately laying the groundwork for the Supreme Court’s decision.

He did this work for over 32 years, beginning with a law school thesis on the subject.

Bonauto said in a statement, “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.”

“I stand alongside so many courageous individuals who fought for the right to marry, and others across our nation who share a deep desire that all of our community members be treated with fairness and dignity. This recognition today is a testament to the profoundly positive impact marriage equality has had on individuals, families, and communities across our country.”

Wolfson said in a statement, “This Medal is a tribute to the transformative, democratic work we all did together, and to the power of hope, strategy, determination, and love. 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.”

Other recipients of the medal include Congressman Bennie Thompson and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who led the investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. Frank Butler received the award as well for setting the standards on tourniquet usage, while Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi received it for opposing the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Eleanor Smeal is receiving it for leading women’s rights advocacy.

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