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President Obama Honors Billie Jean King

President Obama Honors Billie Jean King

President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to legendary tennis player Billie Jean King, Academy Award-winning actor Sidney Poitier and 14 others during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (August 12).

The President presented the medal to recipients, granting them the highest civilian honor in the United States. Other recipients included: Stephen Hawking, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Harvey Milk, Jack Kemp, Sandra Day O’Connor and Desmond Tutu.

Billie Jean King is the founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation, a national charitable educational organization dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through physical activity. She has tirelessly worked with this organization to equally encourage sons and daughters to be active and healthy. To support this cause, donate to WomensSportsFoundation.org!

20+ pictures inside of President Obama presenting the Medals of Freedom…

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Photos: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Posted to: Barack Obama, Billie Jean King, Sydney Potier

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26 Comments

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# 1

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You didn’t mention Jack Kemp.

# 2

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An excellent group of people to receive this honor.

# 3

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I also love you Jack!

# 4
Excuse me? @ 08/12/2009 at 11:30 pm

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Truly a distinguished group of recipients. Bravo to all (especially Sidney, whom I grew up admiring).

# 5

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gays and blacks and one nice dead white guy. Shocking!

# 7

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@missy:
A beautiful dead man inside and out.

# 8

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I forgot the drunk-murderer and a wise old white woman

# 9

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Great people!! Especially nice to see Poitier and Sandra Day O’Connor.

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JJ missed Dr. Medicine Crow. One of the best among this year’s list.

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his picks are so very contrived. so trying to appeal to gay peeps.

Excuse me? @ 08/13/2009 at 12:33 am

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missy @ 08/12/2009 at 11:34 pm gays and blacks and one nice dead white guy. Shocking!

****************************

The following were also honored with the Medal of Freedom and they are neither black nor gay:

Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow – High Bird, a war hero and scholar

Scientist Stephen Hawking, a pioneer in theoretical physics despite confinement to a wheelchair

Pedro Jose “Joe” Greer, Jr., whose medical center in Miami treats thousands of homeless patients a year

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Yay Billie Jean King and Sidney Poitier!

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Sandra Day O’Connor looks so adorable

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Missy if you’re going to call Edward Kennedy a “drunk murderer” than you are giving people permission to call Laura Bush a careless murderer too. Anyways, get over yourself

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i dont care that. at all

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Yay for Harvey Milk and Sidney Poitier!!! :)

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@ Mailey:
And let’s not leave out the multi-abortion, man-hating lesbian Billie Jean King…Obama really likes covering all the bases

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I recognize sidney poiter. I am not sure of the other honorees, but congrats to all of them. I am sure they all deserve it.

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Give one gay person a medal, but deprive their right to equality.
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That’s the Obama way of doing things.

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@Lana:

17 year old Laura Bush wasn’t drunk, she was young and she didn’t run away and hide.

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What no “wise latina’s”

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Missy/Janine- You should take your medication and get some rest!!

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a double whammy a gay and commie harvey milkin

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