Meeting of the Minds

Get someone who looks at you like the late, great Edie Windsor looks at Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bernhard who are clearly deep in conversation about what Carol and Therese did after they locked eyes in that restaurant.

Vacation Vixen: Edie Windsor

May I be even half as courageous, half as vibrant, half as amazing as this woman was throughout her life. Heck, even a fraction.

Our Wild and Precious Lives

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

This quote by the poet Mary Oliver is equal parts call to joy and call to action. And if that’s the only thing you take away from Edie Windsor’s life and death it is still really quite a thing. Last Friday the memorial service for the LGBT rights hero was held in New York. And, wouldn’t you know it, the woman who actually won the popular vote made a surprise appearance to give a eulogy. Meanwhile the man we inexplicably call president has yet to even mention her passing at all. But, hey, he found the time to tweet about the Emmy ratings, so there’s that. When you have the time today, or in the next few days or whenever you can, I highly recommend you listen to Hillary beautifully memorialize Edie. Two great women, two determined women, two women who have left an indelible impact on this nation. And, yes, I know – Hillary isn’t perfect which everyone somehow feels the need to point out every single time her name is mentioned even though literally no one on fucking Earth is perfect. So, with Mary Oliver’s words ringing in my ears and Edie’s courage warming my heart, I vow to quit apologizing for complex women from here on out. And I vow to never postpone joy. Thank you, Hillary and Edie.

Rest In Pride

If you ever doubt that one person can change the world, think of Edie Windsor. One singular woman, one timeless love, one righteous fight. They all came together in Edie, who undeniably changed the world for the better. Her death yesterday at age 88 is a reminder that no matter how small and helpless we feel, we should never doubt our power to do what is right. Hers was an unlikely journey to LGBT rights hero and icon. You might not think an octogenarian who had lived a quiet and loved life with her wife, Thea Spyer, for four decades would make history. But when Thea died in 2009 and the government refused to recognize their union (to the tune of a hefty six-figure federal tax bill), she fought back. For Thea, for all of us. And, wouldn’t you know it, she won. Edie slayed the Goliath. In 2013 the United States Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional in 2013 (United Sates v. Windsor). And that paved the way two years later in 2015 for the Supreme Court’s to declare same-sex marriage legal across the entire United States (Obergefell v. Hodges). Upon her passing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were among the outpouring of people offering words of condolences and homages to her place in history. Love, indeed, trumps hate. And love, like that between Edie and Thea where you dance a hole into your stocking together the first night you meet, can truly change the world. Thank you, Edie. Thank you from the bottom of our big gay hearts forever.

p.s. Hey, here is an idea, replace all Confederate monuments with a statue of Edie just like this. For one, she actually won her war. And for another, she actually made America greater. Radical idea, I know.

The Era of Edie

As the days dwindle down in 2013, it’s time to do that retrospective thing we humans love to do. And, given my activities this past weekend, I thought I’d pay some renewed respect to our gal Edie. Of course, we all know her story by now and her Edie vs. the Goliath of the United States of America victory. And she was rightfully the third runner-up for Time Person of the Year this year. Yet still, it’s stunning to think how one 84-year-old woman has changed the world, and will continue changing the world for the better for years to come. People have and will and still criticize our movement’s focus on marriage as one of our key battles. But I see it as our smartest possible fight. Because, make no mistake, love is transformative. And when you see it, it’s also impossible to deny. So then nothing inferior will do, no union or partnership or skim milk marriage will suffice. Only “I do” will do. And we certainly do love our Edie.

My Weekend Crush

Everybody loves a love story. They’ve built into our DNA. We crave them. They’re a reminder that for all the harsh cruelty, ugly randomness and willful inequality, there is hope and beauty to make us believe again. And it will be love, the love between Edie and Thea, that could change the world. Which really is how it should be. What changes us, moves us forward, makes us better should come from something good. Certainly, a great wrong was first done to that good. But it’s the good that will prevails and lifts us as a people up.

And we have Edith Windsor, Edie to friends and loved ones (and at this point we should all love Edie), to thank. At age 83, Edie is suing the United States of America to recognize her marriage to her wife, Thea Spyer. The two met in 1963, started dating in 1965, got engaged in 1967 and got married legally in Canada in 2007. Hell, I welled up a little just reading their New York Times wedding announcement. Thea died in 2009 after a 32-year battle with multiple sclerosis. After her death, Edie got stuck with a $363,000 federal estate tax bill. A tax she would not have to pay had her marriage to Edie been recognized by the federal government. In all she paid over $600,000 because her 42-year relationship with Thea meant nothing in the eyes of the law.

But instead of letting it stand, accepting the inequality of it all, she fought and fought and fought. As she fought she often relayed the progress of their case to the life-size portrait of Thea that hangs in her apartment. To this day she wears the circular diamond pin that Thea gave her as a stand-in for an engagement ring all those years ago. She wore it to have the highest court in the land hear her. And we’ve all heard her. She came out of the courthouse spunky as ever. Even if the justices rule to continue an injustice and uphold the Defense of Marriage Act, her bravery and determination will not be in vain. We’ve come too far to be stopped now. So thank you, Edie. Thank you for sharing your love. For showing us your heart. For fighting for us all. Happy weekend, all.

p.s. If you want to get even more inspired, watch their documentary “Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement.” It’s streaming on Netflix. But be warned: Come packing Kleenex.