Supreme Court to Hear 83-Year Old Widow's Challenge to Defense of Marriage Act

WASHINGTON - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear Edith "Edie" Windsor's challenge to the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Windsor, 83, was forced to pay more than $363,000 in federal estate tax after her spouse Thea Spyer died because their marriage was not recognized under federal law because of DOMA. It is undisputed that if Spyer had been married to a man instead of a woman, no estate tax would have been owed.

"When Thea and I met nearly 50 years ago, we never could have dreamed that the story of our life together would be before the Supreme Court as an example of why gay married couples should be treated equally, and not like second-class citizens," said Windsor, who sued the government for a refund after Spyer's death in 2009. "While Thea is no longer alive, I know how proud she would have been to see this day. The truth is, I never expected any less from my country."