The White House will honor state Rep. Karen Clark on Wednesday as one of 10 recipients of the "Harvey Milk Champions for Change" award for gay elected and appointed officials.
A White House release credited Clark with being the longest serving openly gay state legislator in the country. A Democratic Farmer Labor Party member who has represented south Minneapolis since 1980, Clark co-wrote the Minnesota Freedom to Marry Act, which legalized same-sex marriage in the state. Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill into law just last week.
Wednesday's ceremony will coincide with Harvey Milk's birthday. In 1977, the San Francisco resident became the first openly gay person elected to public office. He was assassinated the following year.
