08 August 2013 Bayard Rustin to be Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

As the nation prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, the late civil rights organizer Bayard Rustin is finally receiving some of the recognition that he has long deserved.

Tributes to Legendary Black Gay Civil Rights Leader Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin was an unyielding activist for civil rights, dignity, and equality for all. An advisor to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he promoted nonviolent resistance, participated in one of the first Freedom Rides, organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and fought tirelessly for marginalized communities at home and abroad. As an openly gay African American, Mr. Rustin stood at the intersection of several of the fights for equal rights.

Rustin was openly gay in the 1950s and early 1960s—even in the South. That is an incredible profile in courage.  It's generally regarded that Rustin's open sexuality—which was very rare for his generation—is the reason why many of his accomplishments have been ignored or minimized by historians.

Freedom Rides, organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and fought tirelessly for marginalized communities at home and abroad. As an openly gay African American, Mr. Rustin stood at the intersection of several of the fights for equal rights.

READ: President Barack Obama's Statement on DOMA Ruling
This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents’ marriages will now be recognized, rightly, as legitimate; for families that, at long last, will get the respect and protection they deserve; and for friends and supporters who have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked hard to persuade their nation to change for the better.