Ted Kennedy among Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients

In his twilight years, U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy [D-Mass.], the Lion of the Senate, is battling cancer and fighting to see his dream of national health care become a reality. And that may be the reason President Barack Obama will award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Aug. 12. But LGBT activists also see the honor as recognition of his ardent long-time support for equal rights.

Kennedy is one of 16 people who will receive the medal, the nation's highest civilian honor awarded for contributions to the national interests of the United States, world peace or other endeavors. Others include gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King, the tennis legend who was one of the first sports figures to reveal her sexual orientation. Stephen Hawking, Desmond Tutu, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Sidney Poitier are among the other notable honorees.

While activists are generally pleased Obama is recognizing Milk and King, they are equally as proud Kennedy will receive the honor. While not one of their own, he is what many say is their biggest supporter among national political leaders.

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said the Massachusetts Democrat "has taken leadership in fighting discrimination and hate violence, standing up for our families, and keeping our Constitution safe from bigotry." in a statement released after the White House announced the honorees on July 30.

"Our community continues to be grateful for his decades of service," Solmonese said of Kennedy.

Kennedy's advocacy stretches back to the height of the HIV epidemic. And it encompasses a long list of issues. He voted against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. Kennedy has been a lead sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would protect LGBTs in the workplace, since its first introduction in Congress in 1994.

Kennedy also favors providing benefits to domestic partners of federal employees, which Obama partially extended through an executive order in June. He has spoken out against Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And one of Kennedy's long-fought-for measures is the Matthew Shepard Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of federally recognized hate crimes. Named for the gay student who was tortured and murdered in Wyoming in 1998, the legislation may soon become law. The House of Representatives passed the bill earlier this year. Kennedy again introduced bill in Senate and the Judiciary Committee held a hearing in June.

Among LGBT activists who laud Kennedy for his sustained efforts and have worked with the senator and his staff for many years are Mary Breslauer, a former HRC board member who also serves as a consultant to the organization, and Stephen Driscoll, a founder and longtime board member of the National Stonewall Democrats. Both are also Kennedy constituents.

Breslauer considers the senator to be one of "the heroes of equality."

"I'm a monumental fan of Senator Kennedy, who has stood with us long before it was politically popular or even advisable to do so," Breslauer told EDGE. "We had no one standing with us during the AIDS epidemic except for Ted Kennedy."

Breslauer points out the Ryan White Care Act, the largest federally funded program for people living with HIV/AIDS, would not exist if Kennedy did not introduce and marshal it through Congress in 1990.

"People forget how mean-spirited and hurtful Jesse Helms was," she recalled. "[The late North Carolina Republican senator] "took every opportunity to stigmatize people with AIDS."

Breslauer added she feels Kennedy was "the only the one who told Helms on the Senate floor to shut up."

"When the lion roared, everyone listened," she said. "So you can't overemphasize the importance of his voice for us from the very beginning. That voice was heard through every piece of Congressional legislation, up to and including same-sex marriage."

She pointed out Kennedy was one of the first to come out in favor of marriage for same-sex couples. And Breslauer is among the activists who have worked closely with Kennedy and his staff over the decades who maintain they never denied any request for assistance.

Driscoll, who now co-chairs the Stonewall Democrats' Leadership Council and the Massachusetts Democratic Party's LGBT Caucus, described Kennedy as the community's most ardent advocate in the U.S. Senate's history.

In an email statement to EDGE, Driscoll recalled that he first met Kennedy during his first U.S. Senate campaign in 1962.

"I was just a kid sealing envelopes and playing go-fer at the Wollaston headquarters," he said. "He shook my hand, expressed a genuine interest in me and a few days later I got an autographed photo in the mail--a prized possession to this day."

Why was Kennedy such an early and strong supporter of people with HIV and LGBT rights?

Driscoll believes it's rooted in the family's dictum: "Those to whom much is given, much is expected."

He said the Kennedy and Fitzgerald experience as immigrants in a Boston which cast the Irish as second class citizens imbued them with a passion for equality.

"I think Ted Kennedy has always been about standing for people on the margin of society and for understanding in his gut what it's like to not be welcomed in the door," Breslauer said.

Driscoll was diagnosed with cancer around the same time Kennedy was.

"His positive attitude and his perseverance inspired me in dealing with my own condition," he said.

He recalled Kennedy's appearance at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, which he attended as a delegate.

"His appearance was the highlight of the convention for me," Driscoll said. "I admit to sobbing uncontrollably through his entire speech. That singular show of strength and courage epitomized his dedication."

At the convention, Driscoll wore a button he designed that had Kennedy's photo and the legend "Ted Kennedy, Our Hero: The cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die."