Edie Windsor Praises Pope Francis' Words On Gays: 'It Thrills Me'

Edie Windsor achieved a breakthrough victory for the LGBT community when the Supreme Court ruled in her favor and struck down the Defense of Marriage Act this summer. But she was equally pleased about a month later when she heard Pope Francis' words on gays and lesbians.

When Windsor spoke with HuffPost Live's Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani on Thursday, she expressed the joy she felt when the pope said he would not judge homosexual Catholics. Windsor said the remarks were a milestone because "his bully pulpit has a great deal of meaning."

"I was in Provincetown, [Mass.], the day the papers said the quote of the Pope as saying, 'Who am I to judge?' I went around people's tables at the breakfast saying, 'Did you see this? Will you imagine this?' Right now, it thrills me. I think of all the serious Catholic mothers who felt freed when he said that -- free to love their kids," Windsor said.

Click here to see the full HuffPost Live conversation with Edie Windsor.