President Joe Biden awarded activists for gay marriage and abortion with Presidential Citizens Medals on Thursday.
Among the 20 recipients were Mary Bonauto and Evan Wolfson, both prominent figures in the fight for same-sex marriage rights. Bonauto argued the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Wolfson led the nationwide campaign for marriage equality.
Eleanor Smeal, a long-time pro-abortion activist and president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, also received the honor. Smeal has criticized the Catholic Church for its stance on abortion and birth control throughout her career.
“The Presidential Citizens Medal is awarded to citizens… who have performed exemplary deeds of service,” the White House said in a statement. “President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others.”
Smeal frequently clashed with Catholic teachings, calling the Church’s stance on women’s roles and contraception oppressive. “Because of my sex, I am second-class forever in my church,” she said during a 1987 protest at the Vatican embassy.
Her activism also targeted political leaders. In 2005, Smeal condemned Justice Samuel Alito as “far-right” and hostile to women’s rights. She criticized the number of Catholics on the Supreme Court at the time, suggesting it underrepresented other beliefs.
Joshua Mercer of CatholicVote accused Biden of undermining Catholic values. “Biden’s decision to honor a pro-abortion activist arrested at the Vatican is reprehensible,” Mercer said.
The Catholic Church remains firm in its opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. It teaches that life begins at conception and that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman.
Wolfson, founder of Freedom to Marry, was honored for leading the fight to legalize same-sex marriage. “He changed not just the law, but society,” the White House announcement stated.
Bonauto was also praised for her decades of work legalizing gay marriage in multiple states. Biden’s statement lauded her for “forging a more perfect Union” and making “millions of families whole.”
Other recipients included civil rights activists, veterans, and public servants. Former Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum, a supporter of abortion rights, was among them.
Biden has consistently defended abortion and gay marriage, despite criticism from Church leaders. In 2019, he was denied communion due to his stance on abortion.
Last November, Biden awarded Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her leadership. Richards oversaw millions of abortions during her tenure.
The Catholic vote played a significant role in the 2024 election. Many rejected Biden’s positions on abortion and same-sex marriage, fearing a Harris presidency would further alienate Christians.