Series III. Activism, 1969-2024, inclusive

This series documents Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer's involvement in a wide range of events and appearances primarily organized by LGBTQ+ and allied organizations from the 1980s to the 2010s. In the earlier years, Windsor and Spyer often attended events as supporters or community participants. As their visibility grew, particularly following their 2007 marriage, the couple was increasingly recognized for their contributions to LGBTQ+ advocacy. After the 2013 United States v. Windsor Supreme Court case decision, Windsor's event appearances increased as she suddenly became a well-known public figure in her 80s. Her rigorous schedule of events which are represented in this subseries is centered on honoring her achievements, celebrating her public advocacy, or highlighting her cultural significance. Towards the end of Windsor's life she was accompanied by her spouse Judith Kasen-Windsor, who is also active in the LGBTQ+ community. Files dated after Windsor's death document events attended by Judith, who honored and carried on Windsor's legacy through her own activism.

The majority of event and appearance files date from the 1980s though 2020s and typically include programs, schedules, invitations, speech text, press clippings, correspondence, publicity materials, print and digital photographs, and digital video event recordings.

Several of these events within the subseries span over multiple years, including the New York City Gay Pride Parade and the SAGE Awards and Dinner Gala–two organizations that were deeply important to both women. Other events of note include the East End Women for the Arts' off-Broadway show Taking Liberties; the first National Lesbian Conference (1991); and The Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Foundation Exhibit and Fundraiser from 2021.

This subseries documents LGBTQ+ community organizing and activism organizations in the New York City and Long Island areas dating from the early 1980s through the mid-2010s, through the lens of two women who lived through historical challenges and advancements in LGBTQ+ rights. The materials in this subseries reflect Edie and Thea's decades-long commitment within local organizations that played an important role in shaping and supporting LGBTQ+ life. The earliest materials in the subseries pertain to their participation in EEGO (East End Gay Organization), and include publications, an organizational history, informational brochures, and event promotion materials. Windsor and Spyer's long-term commitment to SAGE (Senior Action in a Gay Environment) is particularly well represented in this subseries, including Board of Directors meeting notes and minutes, conference and committee planning files, event materials, newsletters, calendars, annual meeting reports, and promotional content including brochures, booklets, and flyers. This subseries also contains promotional and event materials from a range of other organizations, including OQAU (Old Queers Acting Up), OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change), The Matrix, NFWFW (North Fork Women for Women Fund), the Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps (later renamed the Queer Big Apple Corps), Lesbians Who Tech, MENY (Marriage Equality New York), and various Callen-Lorde programs.

Materials related to Judith Kasen-Windsor, Windsor's second wife, document her own engagement and history within LGBTQ+ organizations, spanning the period before her relationship with Windsor, during their marriage, and after Windsor's death in 2017.

This subseries contains materials related to the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor, in which Edie Windsor served as the lead plaintiff. The landmark decision struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), resulting in the extension of federal rights and benefits to legally married same-sex couples. Materials in this subseries were accumulated by Windsor and include legal briefs, case summaries, correspondence, press clippings and articles, a retainer agreement with her legal team, and drafts of public remarks and statements. Photographs in this subseries include 2013 images of Windsor celebrating outside the Supreme Court building on decision day, and related events.

Also included in this subseries are materials documenting projects and public events inspired by the case. These include notes, correspondence, and promotional materials for Windsor's attorney Roberta Kaplan's book Then Comes Marriage…; event planning materials and communications for the documentary To a More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor; and also a range of event materials focused on the court decision.