Edie Windsor, right, and her late wife Thea Spyer. (Photo via ACLU)
“Edie and Thea” is a love story that made it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Edie Windsor, recognized as a Grand Marshal at the 2013 NYC Pride celebrations, brought her case against DOMA to court — and had the Defense of Marriage Act struck down as unconstitutional on June 26, 2013. This landmark case has opened doors for LGBTQ Americans (and their partners from abroad, if applicable) and changed the face of the LGBTQ rights movement in the USA. Go, Edie!
A powerful and moving film, it tells the story of Edie and her late partner, Thea Spyer — and it’s featured right here On Demand. Check out the synopsis below, or see for yourself how Edie Windsor’s fight for justice took down DOMA.
SYNOPSIS:
Acclaimed directors Susan Muska and Gréta Ólafsdóttir (“The Brandon Teena Story”) present a lovingly crafted documentary in which life partners Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer recount how their improbable romance ignited a lifelong journey around the world and through history. Though touched by events like the civil rights movement and the Stonewall riots, Edie and Thea’s relationship transcends politics and is a shining example of love’s ability to endure.
A tremendously powerful film, Edie & Thea portrays the lives of the couple who would become catalytic figures in the LGBT civil rights movement. After the release of the film, Thea Spyer passed away and Edie Windsor was required to pay more than $360,000 in federal estate taxes despite the couple’s marriage having been legally recognized by the State of New York (if federal law had also recognized their marriage she would have paid no estate taxes). Since 2009 Edie Windsor’s case (United States vs. Windsor) has wound its way through the court system and is now pending at the US Supreme Court.
Watch the film On Demand right here on Lesbian.com: “Edie and Thea”
