Entrepreneur/longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist Tim Gill and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton were among 20 individuals slated to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Jan. 4, per a White House press release.
The release called Gill “a visionary entrepreneur whose work has advanced LGBTQI rights and equality,” adding, “After transforming the publishing industry through groundbreaking software [as the chair and founder of Quark, among other things], he leveraged his success to secure key victories in the fight for marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections.”
Of Clinton—a longtime LGBTQ+ ally—the release stated that she “made history many times over decades in public service, including as the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate. After serving as Secretary of State, she became the first woman nominated for president by a major United States political party.”
Some of the others honored included fashion editor Anna Wintour, ethologist/conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, activist Fannie Lou Hamer (posthumous), NBA icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson, musician Bono, actor Michael J. Fox and chef/entrepreneur Jose Andres.
On Jan. 2, Mary L. Bonauto and Evan Wolfson—two renowned marriage-equality activists—were among 20 individuals to receive Presidential Citizens Medals from President Joe Biden. Those medals constitute the second-highest civilian award in the United States and are second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.