Marriage Equality Champion Mary Bonauto ’87 Awarded Presidential Citizens Medal
01.03.2025 – Mary Bonauto ’87, senior director of civil rights and legal strategies at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), was among 20 individuals who received the Presidential Citizens Medal in a ceremony at the White House on January 2, 2025. The Presidential Citizens Medal is given out to Americans who “have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.”
Video: Watch President Biden present Mary Bonauto '87 with the Presidential Citizens Medal.
“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,” said Bonauto in a statement on the GLAD Law website. “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.”
In a statement to the press, the White House, described Bonauto’s contributions:
“Attorney and activist Mary Bonauto first fought to legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine before arguing before the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established marriage equality as the law of the land. Her efforts made millions of families whole and forged a more perfect Union.”
“President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others. The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice,” according to the statement.
Bonauto’s transformative work has been recognized with numerous other awards, including a 2014 MacArthur Fellowship.
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,100 employers in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
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