September 26, 2014
Hamilton alumna Mary Bonauto ’83, a human rights lawyer who has been instrumental in the fight for marriage equality, was named a MacArthur Fellow on September 17. A total of 21 artists, scholars and professionals received the prestigious prize this year.
“Once I realized they weren’t joking, I was shocked into silence,” Bonauto said of her reaction to winning the award.
Bonauto received a B.A. from Hamilton and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 1987. She became the Civil Rights Project Director at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) in 1990 and worked to reform marriage rights in New England. Her work with Vermont colleagues in the landmark 1999 Baker v. Vermont case resulted in the first ruling that same-sex couples must be provided the same protections as married couples. In 2003, GLAD filed Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, the revolutionary decision that resulted in Massachusetts being the first state to legalize gay marriage.
“As the saying goes, much is expected from those to whom much is given,” Bonauto said. “I am happy to be living in these times where the work we do at GLAD can make secure more freedoms and opportunities for others.”
Bonauto said that her time at Hamilton taught her there are no “one-size-fits-all answers out there” and gave her a chance to explore many different disciplines.
“I had the privilege of presenting Mary with an honorary degree at Hamilton’s 2005 Commencement,” President Joan Hinde Stewart said. “The degree citation references Mary’s courage, her modesty, her early pro bono efforts in support of those who suffered discrimination because of AIDS and of course her groundbreaking work on behalf of same-sex marriage. Our College has reason to be proud of the dedication and accomplishments of this distinguished alumna and of the liberal arts education that prepared her to do these things.”
The MacArthur Fellowship, also called a “Genius Grant,” awards recipients $650,000 in installments over five years. According to the MacArthur Foundation website, the no-strings-attached fellowship provides “recipients with the flexibility to pursue their own artistic, intellectual and professional activities in the absence of specific obligations or reporting requirements.” Stewart noted that Bonauto is the second Hamilton graduate to win a MacArthur Fellowship for playing a leading role in a major civil rights issue. The other winner, activist Bob Moses ’56, used the grant to create the Algebra Project, a foundation devoted to improving minority education in math.
Bonauto said that while she has no immediate plans for her fellowship, she will continue her work with GLAD. “I remain committed to the justice work GLAD does with LGBT people and the many issues on which we make common cause with others such as economic and educational opportunity, sensible immigration reform, ending HIV,” she said.
Mary Evans ’82, who attended Hamilton with Bonauto, said she was thrilled to learn Bonauto was named a MacArthur Fellow. “The intelligence, courage and conviction Mary displayed as an undergraduate are the very same qualities that propelled her to be relentless in her pursuit of the right to same-sex marriage. I’m delighted and very proud that the MacArthur Foundation has chosen to honor her as a Fellow,” Evans said.
“Mary Bonauto and I were students together in the early years of Hamilton’s coeducation and co-leaders of the Women’s Center during a transformative time for the College. From her earliest days on the Hill, Mary’s intelligence and passion were obvious, as was her courageous commitment to stand for what was right,” Evans said. “It is hard to imagine now, but even with the Kirkland legacy, women were still trying to make their way at Hamilton, and I’d like to think that Mary developed some of her practice in social justice issues while navigating those issues on the Hill.”
Director of Diversity and Inclusion Amit Taneja said that the campus climate for LGBTQ individuals now is very different from the time that Bonauto attended Hamilton, in part because of the education and advocacy that she, and other alumni like her have done for Hamilton and for society at large.
“Mary Bonauto is an exemplary alumna who has used her Hamilton education to make the world a more just place for LGBTQ individuals. In many ways, she is a role model for our students to think of ways in which they want to engage with the pressing problems we face as a global society,” Taneja said. “On a personal note, I would not have been able to legally marry my husband had it not been for people like Mary who worked tirelessly, against all odds, to achieve this legal victory. For that I am grateful to her.”
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