Jeanne Manford: 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal Recipient

March 11, 2013 | 0:37

In 1972, Manford and her husband, Jules, co-founded a support group for parents of gay children that grew into the national organization known as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Manford was inspired to act after the police failed to intervene when her son Morty was beaten and hospitalized during a demonstration. Manford continued her advocacy even after losing Morty to AIDS in 1992. Today, PFLAG is focused on advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Manford passed away in 2013 at the age of 92.