LGBTQ+ people gained civil rights 10 years ago -- thanks to this Jewish lesbian
American society changed forever when the Supreme Court overturned section three of the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013, ensuring gay people were entitled to due process and equal protection under the 5th Amendment. It also made an icon out of the 83-year-old plaintiff, Edie Windsor.
Her extraordinary legal journey led to a groundbreaking ruling that permanently reshaped American society. United States v. Windsor established the legal precedent for LGBTQ+ rights, paving the way for the Supreme Court to legalize marriage equality two years later.
The Windsor decision established equality and dignity for gay people. But its ripple effects created a greater sense of freedom for everyone.
As a gay 19-year-old just coming out, Edie’s story had a profound effect on me. Learning about her case and the decades of LGBTQ+ history that preceded it, I noticed an interesting pattern: Many of the prominent LGBTQ+ leaders were Jewish.
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