Edith “Edie” Windsor, 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, reports The Huffington Post.
Saying she suffered from “broken heart syndrome” after the death of her wife Thea Spyer, 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…I mean, 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 more than 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 had to pay had she been married to a man.
WATCH EDITH WINDSOR ADDRESS THE MEDIA:
