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Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA at Northshire Saratoga

Roberta Kaplan -- the attorney who argued the case before that Supreme Court that opened the way for the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages -- will be at Northshire Saratoga May 25. She'll be talking about her book Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA.

Book blurbage:

Renowned litigator Roberta Kaplan knew from the beginning that it was the perfect case to bring down the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer had been together as a couple, in sickness and in health, for more than forty years--enduring society's homophobia as well as Spyer's near total paralysis from multiple sclerosis. Although the couple was finally able to marry, when Spyer died the federal government refused to recognize their marriage, forcing Windsor to pay a huge estate tax bill.

In this gripping, definitive account of one of our nation's most significant civil rights victories--named a Ms. Magazine Top 10 Feminist Book of 2015 and a National Law Journal Top 10 Supreme Court Aficionado Book of 2015--Kaplan describes meeting Windsor and their journey together to defeat DOMA. She shares the behind-the-scenes highs and lows, the excitement and the worries, and provides intriguing insights into her historic argument before the Supreme Court. A critical and previously untold part of the narrative is Kaplan's own personal story, including her struggle for self-acceptance in order to create a loving family of her own.

The Windsor case also helped pave the way for the SCOTUS decision last year that same-sex couples have the right marry.

Kaplan's talk is at Wednesday, May 25 at 6 pm in Nortshire's store in downtown Saratoga Springs. It's free.