Edith Windsor At SCOTUS: DOMA Plaintiff Emphasizes Humanity Over Economics After Court Hearing

DOMA Plaintiff Speaks: Marriage 'Is A Magic Word'

The 83-year-old plaintiff in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) case spoke to media after being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, but her remarks emphasized the human angle of her "overwhelming" fight rather than strictly economics.

Saying she suffered from "broken heart syndrome" after the death of her wife Thea Spyer, Edith "Edie" Windsor told the crowd, "[Marriage] is a magic word, for anybody who doesn't understand why we want it and why we need it -- it is magic."

She went on to note, "Today is like a spectacular event for me...it's a lifetime kind of event, and I know that the spirit of my late spouse Thea Spyer is right here watching and listening, and would be very proud and happy of where we've come to."

The Windsor vs. United States case centers on the over 1,100 benefits not awarded to same-sex couples under DOMA. As for Windsor herself, she was forced to pay $363,000 in estate taxes when Spyer died -- fees she would not have encountered had she been married to a man.

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Edie Windsor

Edith 'Edie' Windsor

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