December 11, 2013, New York N.Y.……Edith "Edie" Windsor, the plaintiff in the June 2013 Supreme Court decision that struck down the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act," on the editorial short list of 5 — coming in at #3 - for Time magazine's person of the year, capping off a year of landmark progress for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) people.
Every December, Time magazine chooses from five finalists one "Person of the Year." In addition, Windsor was a finalist in the public online poll, a clear demonstration of the growing public support for marriage equality and the power of her story and fight for equality and dignity for her marriage and life with Thea Spyer and the thousands of other same-sex couples in the U.S. and around the world.
"I am honored that Time chose me as one of the final 5 individuals as 'Person of the Year,' but I am just one person who was part of the extraordinary and on-going fight for marriage equality for all our families, " said Edie Windsor. "There are thousands of people who helped us come this far and we still have a lot more work to do. The gay community is my 'person of the year' and I look forward to continuing to fight for equal rights and educate the public about our lives alongside my gay brothers and sisters and our allies," Windsor continued. "Even without taking the 'Person of the Year' even being in the top 5 is an extraordinary way to end a year that has been historic for all of us and truly spectacular for me and gave me the chance to tell my story via Time through an interview and audio interview with photo slideshow. Thea would be thrilled, proud and so happy to see what we have all accomplished together," concluded Windsor.
"Designing Edie's website has been a collaborative effort with one of my heroes and a labor of love for me personally," said Carla Grande, a New York based agent, producer and web designer who has worked in the fields of photography, illustration, design and fine art for over twenty-five years. "Creating an online resource for 'all things Edie' has been a joy and an unforgettable experience," Grande continued. "From the landing page video chronicling Edie's life with Helen Reddy's "I am Woman" in the background [Note: song used with permission of the artist] to the sections of the site that offer a glimpse into Edie and Thea's relationship, Edie's life and the highlights of the DOMA case, the award-winning documentary 'Edie and Thea: A Long Engagement' and her other activism, my hope is everyone who visits this site is inspired by Edie, her life and the power of one person standing up to injustice," concluded Grande.
The site, ediewindsor.com has many components, in addition to the landing page video that is a short chronicle of Edie's life and produced by the same team that created the documentary film, Susan Muska, Gréta OlafsdÃ"ttir, dozens of photographs, highlights of her fight against DOMA and information and links to "Edie's causes."
EXTENSIVE PROFILE AND VIDEO AT poy.time.com/2013/12/11/runner-up-edith-windsor-the-unlikely-activist/ .
TIME'S PERSON OF THE YEAR IS A POPE WHO LISTENS TO LAY CATHOLICS
From a Press Release
Equally Blessed: Pope's pastoral attitude is "changing the prosecutorial tone" toward LGBT people in many corners of the church
BOSTON, December 11, 2013—The Equally Blessed coalition released the following statement on Time magazine's naming of Pope Francis as its Person of the Year:
Time Magazine's selection of Pope Francis as its Person of the Year recognizes the significant new energy and focus the Pope has brought to Catholicism over the past nine months. His pastoral attitude toward marginalized people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, is changing the prosecutorial tone that has prevailed in many corners of the church, although there are still many places where the Pope's message seems to fall on deaf ears.
The Pope is clearly listening to the voices of lay Catholics around the world who have long understood that LGBT people are children of God, created in God's likeness and entitled to be treated as full and equal members of the church and of the societies in which they live.
We yearn for the day when the Catholic hierarchy can simply acknowledge the holiness of our lives and our relationships. Until then, we pray that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and organizations like the Knights of Columbus will listen to Pope Francis, abandon their exorcisms, their firings of LGBT church workers and their multimillion dollar campaign to marginalize LGBT people, and commit themselves to gaining a deeper understanding of the lives, beliefs and ministries of LGBT people, their families and their friends.
Equally Blessed is a coalition of four Catholic organizations that have spent more than 125 years working on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families. Collectively and individually, Call To Action, DignityUSA, Fortunate Families, and New Ways Ministry are devoted to informing, supporting and giving voice to the growing majority within the Catholic Church in the United States that favors equality under law for LGBT people.
