Bill Clinton To Receive GLAAD's 'Advocate For Change' Award

Bill Clinton will be honored with the inaugural " Advocate for Change" Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.

GLAAD officials pointed to the former U.S. president's recent advocacy work for marriage equality in both New York and North Carolina, as well as his impassioned Washington Post editorial calling for the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), in announcing the award.

"President Clinton's support of the LGBT community and recognition that DOMA, the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, is unconstitutional and should be struck down shows that the political landscape continues to change in favor of LGBT equality," GLAAD's Wilson Cruz said in a statement on the group's website. "Leaders and allies like President Clinton are critical to moving our march for equality forward."

In the March 7 editorial, Clinton wrote of DOMA:

"When I signed the bill, I included a statement with the admonition that 'enactment of this legislation should not, despite the fierce and at times divisive rhetoric surrounding it, be understood to provide an excuse for discrimination.' Reading those words today, I know now that, even worse than providing an excuse for discrimination, the law is itself discriminatory. It should be overturned."

Scheduled to attend the GLAAD ceremony on April 20 are Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lawrence, according to officials.

In March, Madonna presented Anderson Cooper with the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in New York.