Edie Windsor and her partner, Thea Spyer, fell in love in the 1960s. They were together for 42 years before they were legally married in Canada in 2007. As Windsor puts it, they had a "40-year engagement."
When Spyer died in 2009, Windsor was burdened with a $300,000 estate tax bill because her marriage to Thea was not recognized by American federal law. But Edie Windsor is a fighter. After being featured in the documentary Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement, she felt brave enough to take on the Defense of Marriage Act. Her pioneering efforts are changing the landscape for all same-sex couples in the United States, and I defy you to watch this video without getting teary eyed. Somehow "inspirational" just doesn't do these women justice: