Edie Windsor earned a master's degree in the 1950s and became a computer programmer.
She spent most of her career at IBM, developing things we all take for granted now, and was reportedly one of few women to achieve the highest technical ranking in her field.
She became famous for suing the U.S. government because it refused to recognize her Canadian marriage and, when her spouse died, forced her to pay $363,053 in estate taxes — solely because the spouse was named Thea, not Theo.
I never gave much thought to legalizing same-sex marriage until a few lawsuits were filed, and then I immediately realized "oopsie." I've never heard an argument against same-sex marriage that wasn't based on religion, and the U.S. isn't supposed to promote one religion over another. I also noticed the countless legal advantages that gays and lesbians were denied by not being able to marry. Hello, equal protection?
If it got a fair hearing, it looked like a slam-dunk to me. I didn't see how the judges could get around it.
Makes no difference that separation of church and state has never been perfectly enforced (what is perfect in life?). Makes no difference how many people claim they don't "get it" -- it's still the promise of America.
The Earth is covered with countries that promote one religion over another; maybe some of you would be happier living in one of those.
But I hope America keeps its promise; I hope the majority of us don't allow you to impose your narrow view on everybody. That's already been allowed far too much for far too long, and the result is on display now for the world to gawk at. Enough already.