In a time of great uncertainty, for the LGBTQ community, and in a sense, the entire world, President Obama just did something absolutely beautiful.
Today, he gave his final Presidential Medals of Freedom to 21 recipients including Diana Ross, Tom Hanks, Melinda Gates, Robert De Niro and Ellen DeGeneres.
Take a look at his remarks before giving the medal — the highest civilian honor in America — to Ellen:
“It’s easy to forget now,” the president says, “when we’ve come so far, where now marriage is equal under the law, just how much courage was required for Ellen to come out on the most public of stages almost 20 years ago.
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“Just how important it was, not just to the LGBT community, but for all of us to see somebody so full of kindness and light, somebody we liked so much, somebody who could be our neighbor, or our colleague, or our sister, challenge our own assumptions.
“Remind us that we have more in common that we realize. Push our country in the direction of justice. What an incredible burden that was to bear, to risk your career like that.
“People don’t do that very often. And then to have the hopes of millions on your shoulders.”
brianrio66
She’s so deserving, – congrats Ellen!
Jonathan26
A national treasure!
Brian
What has she ever done for true freedom? She has people on her show who are homophobic or borderline homophobic. She promotes the careers of know-nothings and no-talents.
Freedom to buy mansions? I’ll grant you that.
billio99
Could not be a happier gay man than seeing this moment. Ellen is amazing and what a fucking honor! Yasss!
Prax07
Can’t stand her, but still, congrats on such an honor.
Alistair Wiseman
Ellen forgot to bring her ID to the White House and had to wait about an hour before they would let her in.
This is rather ironic considering that President Obama and the Democratic Party doesn’t believe in photo ID’s.
OrchidIslander
Two of my favorite – and inspirational – folk. Ellen and Obama! Well done Ellen, and most certainly deserved.
rmarin776
Very moving. I remember Ellen coming out on her show and how controversial it was. She paved the way for many others… and I am grateful to her for the personal risks she took. Well deserved!
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
@Brian: She does have homophobic guests on her show. Same with Andy Cohen. I don’t get that with gay people – they could be homophobic themselves, and they probably are on some level. They hid who they were for a good portion of their career. The closet is homophobic. It’s tough to let that sude of yourself go. The only thing you can do as an out and proud gay person is boycott them. That’s what I do. It feels good to. It feels empowering.
1EqualityUSA
Do you remember all of the Ellen parties that we threw? It was a huge deal. Nation-wide Ellen parties. We had a wing-ding that night, and it was a blast. Thank you, Ellen. Brian was home with his blow-up doll. His mother mistreated the lad.
Obama is such a beautiful soul. We have lost so much with Trump and his porn-star daughter and wife in our White House. (Google-it-if-you-can-stomach-it)
Sign the Faithless Elector petition (link below) New goal, 6 million. They vote on December 19th. Participate in the planned protests. We cannot go from this articulate, intelligent man, blessed with a lovely family who is above reproach to a sleazy con man, human stain who doesn’t know how to govern. Trump promotes hate and engenders disharmony. If ever there was a time to use “Faithless elector” this is it. The GOP-pus that supported Trump need to go La Brea Tar Pit.
https://www.change.org/p/electoral-college-electors-electoral-college-make-hillary-clinton-president-on-december-19
Helen Barton
Well done Obama and congrats Ellen. I just hope President Obama will follow through now and give Edward Snowdon, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning presidential pardons before he leaves office.
CaliKyle
@Alistair Wiseman: “…President Obama and the Democratic Party doesn’t (sic) believe in photo IDs.” What a ridiculous, puerile and utterly false contention, Ali. It’s like something a 12 year old might say after overhearing his alt right parents talk about politics.
SpireaX
@Brian: I’m curious, you do realize Pres. Obama honored Ellen for COMING OUT so many years ago when doing so was career suicdie, right?
That takes courage. Especially back then, LGBT presence in TV was minimal. So however you feel about her show now, it was for the step she took for the rest of us that is honored.
Stilinski26
It would also be nice to pay tribute to a gay police officer who was murdered recently.
Uppity
So tired of an ultra-rich clique constantly rewarding themselves. Doesn’t Ellen have enough accolades already? Democrats’ celebrity worship didn’t help them at all in the election. The optics of this are terrible, coming off the election loss. Reward the hard-working, low-earning real people of America.
ErikO
@Uppity: What you wrote is very true, there are tons of regular people and hard working LGBT people who deserve accolades instead of celebrities.
@Stilinski26: Exactly but I don’t see that happening.
NateOcean
@Alistair Wiseman: ID will be so much simpler under the Trump administration: a simple number tattooed on the inside of the left forearm that has worked so well in the past.
He BGB
I’m glad for her but she’s more a pro lesbian/pro woman advocate than anything. She only picks women to play the games and give big bucks too on her show. I think she can be a bully too sometimes. Likes to make people look foolish. Likes to scare peopke but refuses to let someone scare het. Definitely an alpha dog who will pee on your leg to let you know she’s the dominant one.
Low Country Boy
@SpireaX: Sir, do not feed the troll.
Daverk
Just heard the speech from President Obama, a well deserved honor to a courageous woman! Congratulations on your success so far, Ellen
Chris
I say we ignore the trolls on this site; we know who they are from the countless postings of the same sorts of drivel each and every time something uplifting about gay or lesbian folk gets posted.
I the meantime, that WAS a wonderful tribute. And yes, people DID celebrate her coming out on national TV and she DID pay the price of being unemployed for quite some time afterwards. She rose to the challenge; she is a courageous woman.
mezzacanadese
Ellen is one of the kindest, nicest people around, and she deserves a medal. I choked up at our president’s words and Ellen’s reaction.
1EqualityUSA
Nice New Yorker article about President Obama. I work with an underserved community and the light has gone out of their eyes since Trump won on raci$t rhetoric.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/28/obama-reckons-with-a-trump-presidency
OrchidIslander
@Chris: Spot on post. Couldn’t agree more.
@mezzacanadese: I, as well, got a bit vaklempt.
alanballs
@Brian: how cynical of you Brian. Bless your little heart.
alanballs
I agree with the positive posts, Ellen is well deserving of the recognition, and the award. And, president Obama, for his part, (love him or hate him) let us remember that in soaring, beautiful words and definitive action he is our friend.
Tête Carrée
@Brian: You say that about everyone. Didn’t you vote for Trump?
Tête Carrée
@Baba Booey Fafa Fooey: And it does nothing. One person? I don’t follow either of them but don’t they challenge the guests homophobia sometimes? They probably have to appear non-biased or their guest list would be very short.