# Edith Windsor

> American LGBT rights activist and a technology manager at IBM

**Wikidata**: [Q15516012](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15516012)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Windsor)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/edith-windsor

## Summary
Edith Windsor was an American computer scientist, programmer, and LGBT rights activist who worked as a technology manager at IBM. She is best known for her association with the legal case United States v. Windsor, which is listed as her notable work and is tied to her public role in LGBT rights.

## Biography
- Born: 1929-06-20, Philadelphia
- Nationality: United States
- Education: New York University; Temple University; Harvard University
- Known for: United States v. Windsor (listed as her notable work)
- Employer(s): IBM
- Field(s): Computer science; programming; LGBT rights activism

## Contributions
Edith Windsor combined a technical career with prominent public activism. Professionally, she worked at IBM as a technology manager and is recorded in source material as a programmer and computer scientist. Her public profile centers on United States v. Windsor, which is recorded as her notable work and is associated with her role as an LGBT rights activist. She received public recognition for her activism, including the VH1 Trailblazer Honors in 2014. Beyond these points, the available source material documents her full education at New York University, Temple University, and Harvard University, and records her long-term affiliation with IBM. The material also documents her marriage to Thea C. Spyer and records her sexual orientation as lesbian, facts that contextualize her advocacy. The concrete documented outcomes in the provided sources are her professional role at IBM, the listing of United States v. Windsor as a notable legal work, and formal recognition such as the VH1 award.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was Edith Windsor?
A: Edith Windsor was an American computer scientist, programmer, and LGBT rights activist who worked as a technology manager at IBM.

### Q: What is United States v. Windsor in relation to Edith Windsor?
A: United States v. Windsor is listed in the source material as Edith Windsor’s notable work and is associated with her public role in LGBT rights activism.

### Q: When was Edith Windsor born and when did she die?
A: Edith Windsor was born on 1929-06-20 in Philadelphia and died on 2017-09-12 in Manhattan.

### Q: Was Edith Windsor married?
A: Yes. The source lists her spouse as Thea C. Spyer.

## Why They Matter
Edith Windsor’s significance rests on the combination of a technical career and a high-profile role in LGBT rights activism recorded in the available sources. As a programmer and computer scientist who served as a technology manager at IBM, she represents the intersection of women in technology and public civic engagement. The listing of United States v. Windsor as her notable work signals a direct connection between her personal circumstances and the broader legal and social conversations around LGBT rights documented in the sources. Public recognition such as the VH1 Trailblazer Honors (2014) underscores the visibility and influence she achieved. Without her documented advocacy and public profile tied to a named legal action, the historical record of individual-driven activism in the United States—particularly where personal life, legal challenge, and public policy intersect—would have one fewer prominent example. Her life also provides a documented example of a lesbian woman who combined a technical professional identity with public activism.

## Notable For
- Listed notable work: United States v. Windsor.
- Occupation and employer: Technology manager at IBM; recorded occupations include programmer and computer scientist.
- Award: VH1 Trailblazer Honors (2014).
- Personal: Married to Thea C. Spyer; documented as lesbian.

## Body

### Personal details
- Full name and aliases:
  - Edith Windsor
  - Edie Windsor
  - Edith Schlain
  - Edith "Edie" Windsor
- Birth and death:
  - Born 1929-06-20 in Philadelphia.
  - Died 2017-09-12 in Manhattan.
- Family:
  - Spouse: Thea C. Spyer (listed in source material).

### Education
- Educated at:
  - New York University
  - Temple University
  - Harvard University

### Career and occupations
- Employer:
  - IBM (recorded employer).
- Roles and fields:
  - Technology manager at IBM (described in the wikidata description).
  - Occupations listed include programmer, software engineer/computer scientist, and activist.
- Professional identifiers:
  - Listed in authority and catalogue records (examples include GND: 1205019197, VIAF: 171712837).

### Activism and public recognition
- Notable work:
  - United States v. Windsor (listed as her notable work in the source data).
- Awards:
  - VH1 Trailblazer Honors (2014).
- Public identity:
  - Described as an American LGBT rights activist.
  - Sexual orientation recorded as lesbian.

### Identifiers and resources
- Personal website: http://ediewindsor.com/
- Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Edie_Windsor_DC_Pride_2017.jpg
- Authority identifiers: GND 1205019197; VIAF 171712837; SNAC ARK w6nx09z9; others listed in source material.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Edith Windsor",
  "jobTitle": "Technology manager; LGBT rights activist",
  "worksFor": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "IBM"
  },
  "nationality": {
    "@type": "Country",
    "name": "United States"
  },
  "birthDate": "1929-06-20",
  "birthPlace": "Philadelphia, United States",
  "alumniOf": [
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
      "name": "New York University"
    },
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
      "name": "Temple University"
    },
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
      "name": "Harvard University"
    }
  ],
  "knowsAbout": [
    "Computer science",
    "LGBT rights activism"
  ],
  "sameAs": [
    "http://ediewindsor.com/",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Windsor"
  ],
  "description": "American computer scientist, programmer, and LGBT rights activist who worked as a technology manager at IBM and is listed for United States v. Windsor."
}

## References

1. [Source](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/us/edith-windsor-dead-same-sex-marriage-doma.html)
2. [Source](https://www.northforkwomen.org/portfolio-items/50734/)
3. [Source](https://www.tassedethe.com/fr/rubriques/goudies/deces-de-lactiviste-lesbienne-edith-windsor)
4. [Source](https://tetu.com/2017/09/13/edith-windsor-lheroine-americaine-mariage-decedee/)
5. Find a Grave
6. Integrated Authority File
7. 40 LGBT+ qui ont changé le monde
8. Library of Congress Control Number