Alvin Ailey And Stephen Sondheim To Be Among 2014 Medal Of Freedom Honorees

Late dance legend Alvin Ailey and Broadway superstar Stephen Sondheim will be among this year's Presidential Medal Of Freedom honorees.

Among the honorees representing the arts world are Stevie Wonder, Stephen Sondheim, Meryl Streep, actress Marlo Thomas, Tom Brokaw, writer and activist Suzan Harjo, and author Isabel Allende. Streep and Sondheim are particularly timely honorees, considering the film adaptation of Sondheim’s Into the Woods stars Streep and arrives in theaters on Dec. 25. The other honorees include professional golfer Charles Sifford, who helped to desegregate the Professional Golfers’ Association, economist Robert Solow, scientist Mildred Dresselhaus, and Ethel Kennedy. Several political representatives will also be honored: John Dingell, Abner Mikva, and Patsy Takemoto Mink. There will also be five posthumous medals awarded to activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey, and Edward R. Roybal.

Ailey died of AIDS in 1989. Cheney, Goodman, and Schwerner were the three civil rights activists murdered in 1964 by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi. The Presidential Medal Of Freedom is the highest honor granted to any American civilian. (Tipped by JMG reader Peter)

RELATED: Among the 2013 Medal Of Freedom posthumous honorees were astronaut Sally Ride and civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Both of their medals were presented by President Obama to their surviving partners as an off-screen announcer recounted their contributions to LGBT history.

Tam O'Shaughnessy On Sally Ride

Yesterday Tam O'Shaughnessy accepted the Presidential Medal Of Freedom on behalf of her late partner, Sally Ride. This afternoon the White House posted the below clip to their official YouTube channel. As of this writing, there's no clip from Walter Naegle, who accepted yesterday on behalf of his late partner, Bayard Rustin.

UPDATED: Sally Ride & Bayard Rustin Get Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Accepting the medals on behalf of their late partners were Tam O'Shaughnessy (Sally Ride) and Walter Naegle (Bayard Rustin). Both presentations were preceded by the off-stage announcer recounting the contributions made by Ride and Rustin to the history of the LGBT movement. The live stream has now concluded.

Civil Rights Pioneer Bayard Rustin And Astronaut Sally Ride To Be Posthumously Awarded Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Civil rights pioneer (and gay man) Bayard Rustin, who organized the 1963 March On Washington, and astronaut Sally Ride, who (at her request) was outed after her death of cancer last year, will be among the recipients of this year's Presidential Medal Of Freedom awards, the highest honor given to any civilian. Via press release from the White House:

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Executive Order signed by President John F. Kennedy establishing the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as the first ceremony bestowing the honor on an inaugural class of 31 recipients. Since that time, more than 500 exceptional individuals from all corners of society have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  President Obama said, “The Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their own lives to enriching ours. This year's honorees have been blessed with extraordinary talent, but what sets them apart is their gift for sharing that talent with the world. It will be my honor to present them with a token of our nation's gratitude."

The Human Rights Campaign reacts:

Bayard Rustin’s contributions to the American civil rights movement remain paramount to its successes to this day,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “His role in the fight for civil rights of African-Americans is all the more admirable because he made it as a gay man, experiencing prejudice not just because of his race, but because of his sexual orientation as well.” Rustin was active in the struggle for civil rights for sixty years, from organizing early freedom rides in the 1940s, to serving as key advisor to Dr. King, to helping found the A. Philip Randolph Institute.

But his advocacy was far from limited to the rights of African Americans. He worked to end apartheid in South Africa, fought for the freedom of Soviet Jews, worked to protect the property of Japanese Americans interned during World War II, and helped highlight the plight of Vietnamese “boat people.” And in the 1980s, he also spoke up for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, testifying in support of anti-discrimination legislation in New York. “Bayard Rustin dedicated his life to advocating for fairness and equality and overcame prejudice to help move our nation forward,” added Griffin.

 The 50th anniversary of the March On Washington is August 28th.

RELATED: Some of this year's other recipients will surely upset the wingnuts. They are: Ernie Banks, Ben Bradlee, Bill Clinton, Daniel Inouye, Daniel Kahneman, Richard Lugar, Loretta Lynn, Mario Molina, Arturo Sandoval, Dean Smith, Gloria Steinem, C.T. Vivian, Patricia Wald, Oprah Winfrey.

Late Lesbian Astronaut Sally Ride To Get Posthumous Medal Of Freedom

President Obama revealed yesterday that he will honor late astronaut Sally Ride with the Medal Of Freedom. Via White House press release:

The Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. President Obama said, “We remember Sally Ride not just as a national hero, but as a role model to generations of young women. Sally inspired us to reach for the stars, and she advocated for a greater focus on the science, technology, engineering and math that would help us get there. Sally showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve, and I look forward to welcoming her family to the White House as we celebrate her life and legacy.”

Ride was outed after her death last July when her obituary mentioned her longtime partner.

Medal Of Freedom

Yesterday I was surprised by how much I enjoyed watching the Medal Of Freedom ceremony at the White House, where the honorees included Maya Angelou, Bill Russell, Yo-Yo Ma, Warren Buffet, Jasper Johns, and Bush 41, who appeared startlingly frail and had to be helped to his seat by a sturdy Marine.

Bush 41 To Get Medal Of Freedom

Former President George H.W. Bush will be among 14 recipients of the Medal Of Freedom, the highest civilian honor granted by the United States.

President Obama will present the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to former president George H. W. Bush and 14 others with careers in politics, the arts, business and sports. In a statement, Mr. Obama said the award recipients “have lived extraordinary lives that have inspired us, enriched our culture, and made our country and our world a better place. I look forward to awarding them this honor.” The award is presented to individuals who have made “especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” according to a press release from the White House.

Included among the other recipients are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, civil rights activist John Lewis, billionaire investor Warren Buffet, poet Maya Angelou, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Dubya: No Medals For Witches

Think Progress reports that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was removed from consideration for receiving a Presidential Medal Of Freedom because Dubya administration officials believed her book "encouraged" the practice of witchcraft.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civil award, and is given to individuals who have contributed to: 1) the security or national interests of the United States, 2) world peace, or 3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. In his new book, Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor, former Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer reveals how politicized the revered Presidential Medal of Freedom became during the Bush administration. Latimer writes that administration officials objected to giving author J.K. Rowling the Presidential Medal of Freedom because her writing “encouraged witchcraft” (p. 201).

As documented at the above link, Dubya and pals had no problem bestowing the Medal of Freedom on numerous pro-Iraq war allies. Medals for oil, not for art!

Presidential Medals Of Freedom Awarded To Billie Jean King & Harvey Milk

Accepting Harvey Milk's posthumous award was his nephew, Stuart Milk.

Harvey Milk To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom

The Victory Fund reports that Harvey Milk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, the highest civilian honor of the United States. Stuart Milk, Harvey's nephew, will accept the award at a White House ceremony to take place on August 12th.

“We are thrilled President Obama is honoring Harvey Milk with the Medal of Freedom. He’s an American hero and trailblazer whose election more than 30 years ago triggered a political awakening that inspires us still today. This recognition sends an important message about how critical political leadership will be in making all Americans equal in the eyes of the law,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.

Stuart Milk echoed Wolfe’s praise, saying, “The President’s action today touches the core of our very human hearts and my uncle would be so proud of this high honor. His election was, for him, a beginning–a chance to make real change. That change is happening, but we still have so far to go. I hope this recognition inspires LGBT Americans everywhere to heed Harvey’s call to run for office, to serve openly, to live proudly with authenticity and to demand the equality that we all deserve.”

Also receiving the Medal Of Freedom that day will be famed lesbian tennis player Billie Jean King and Sen. Ted Kennedy, both longtime advocates for LGBT rights.

UPDATE: The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force responds:

"Today's White House announcement of Medal of Freedom awards to the late Harvey Milk and to Billie Jean King honors two openly gay and lesbian people for their outstanding contributions to the nation. We applaud and cheer that Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King's dedication to freedom and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and for women and girls is at last being recognized with our country's highest civilian honor. Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King are trailblazers whose courage, commitment and perseverance have brought our country to a better place. How utterly appropriate that they will receive an award named the 'Medal of Freedom.'

"We also applaud the inclusion of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who has been a longtime advocate and leader in the U.S. Senate on a host of legislative initiatives pertaining to HIV/AIDS and LGBT equality; and of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, two faith leaders who have been outspoken on and supportive of LGBT issues. Each of these recipients has indeed made important contributions toward equality and justice."