# Plain Language Summary: Congressional Gold Medal for Billie Jean King

This bill awards a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King, one of the highest honors Congress can give to recognize extraordinary achievement. The medal is essentially Congress's way of saying "thank you" to someone who has made a major contribution to the country. In this case, it's recognizing King's groundbreaking work fighting for equal rights for women and the LGBTQ community, particularly in sports.

The bill details King's remarkable accomplishments: she became a tennis champion with 39 Grand Slam titles, but more importantly, she used her fame to push for equality. She played a key role in getting Title IX passed, the law that requires schools and colleges to fund men's and women's sports equally. She also fought against the huge pay gap in professional tennis—where men were earning up to 12 times more than women—by helping create the Women's Tennis Association and an independent women's professional tour. Beyond sports, King was one of the first female athletes to publicly identify as lesbian and has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights and inclusion.

The practical side of this bill is straightforward: Congress will have a gold medal designed and struck (made) by the Treasury Department, which will then be presented to King in a formal ceremony. The bill also allows the Treasury to make bronze copies of the medal and sell them to cover the costs of production. This doesn't change any laws or create new government programs—it's purely ceremonial. However, it does represent official national recognition of King's lifetime of advocacy for equality, cementing her legacy as someone who fundamentally changed not just sports, but American society.

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King, in recognition of her contribution to the Nation and her courageous and groundbreaking leadership advancing equal rights for women and the LGBTQ community in athletics, education, and our society.

Lowenthal, Alan S.

 <p>This bill provides for&nbsp;the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King in recognition of her&nbsp;courageous and groundbreaking leadership advancing equal rights for women and the LGBTQ community&nbsp;in athletics, education, and our society.</p>