President Obama announced today he will posthumously honor Jeanne Manford, the co-founder of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, aka PFLAG, with the Citizens Medal.
Manford, along with her husband Jules formed the support group in 1972 after their gay son Morty was beaten in a gay rights protest in New York, and police refused to intervene. “In the years that followed, Manford continued to march and organize, even after losing Morty to AIDS in 1992,” notes a White House press release. Jeanne Manford died in January at age 92.
"'Jeanne was one of the fiercest fighters in the battle for acceptance and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people,' PFLAG executive director Jody Huckaby said upon Manford’s death."
Along with Manfod, 18 other nominees, including the six Sandy Hook Elementary School staff members who died in the mass shooting last December, will receive medals.
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