Laurel Hester

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Laurel Hester
Born Laurel Anne Hester
(1956-08-15)August 15, 1956
Elgin, Illinois U.S.
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Point Pleasant, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation police officer, activist
Spouse(s) Stacie Andree

Laurel Anne Hester (August 15, 1956 – February 18, 2006) was a police lieutenant with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey, who rose to national attention with her deathbed appeal for the extension of pension benefits to her domestic partner. Her battle was shown in Freeheld (2007), the winner of the Academy Award for Best Short Documentary, and the feature film of the same name (2015), in which Hester is portrayed by Julianne Moore.

Life and career

She was born in Elgin, Illinois, and grew up in Florham Park, the daughter of Diana (1922–1995) and George Hester (1919–1992). She has two brothers, George II and James, and a sister, real-estate agent Lynda (Hester) D'Orio.

She earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and psychology from Stockton State College. While in school, she helped to start the Gay People's Alliance, the first LGBT group on Stockton's campus, which caused controversy there. She served as co-president, but used a pseudonym so no one outside of the group would know she was gay. Her name eventually was attached to an LGBT news article, and she was outed to the school as a lesbian. Her first position in law enforcement was in North Wildwood, New Jersey. After two summers working as a seasonal officer, she was told she would not be hired for a third because she was gay. As a child her family often summered at the Jersey Shore, hence Hester wanted to return and work in the area.[1]

Laurel Hester was a 23-year veteran of the Ocean County prosecutor's office, where she worked on a variety of cases, when she was struck down by rapidly spreading lung cancer. She was one of the first women to achieve rank of Lieutenant in her department and was greatly respected by her fellow officers.

She met her future partner in the early 2000s, Stacie Leigh Andree (born 1975) who was 19 years younger than Hester.[2]

Freeheld

The cancer metastasized and spread to her brain, and it became clear that she had little time to live. Hester lived with and jointly owned a house with her registered domestic partner, Stacie Andree, who would not be able to afford mortgage payments upon Hester's death. A married heterosexual with Hester's years of police service would be able to pass on pension benefits to a spouse, but this privilege was not accorded to same-sex domestic partners in Ocean County.

Hester appealed to local authorities to change this policy, and was supported by the local Policemen's Benefit Association. Instead, in a private meeting on November 9, 2005, the five Republican county freeholders voted against the proposal, with freeholder John P. Kelly arguing that it threatened "the sanctity of marriage." On November 23, a rally of between 100 and 200 supporters gathered to protest the county's inaction.

On January 18, 2006, an impassioned videotaped appeal by a weakening Hester from her hospital bed was shown at a meeting of the freeholders, who then met with county Republican leaders in a teleconference on January 20. The next day, the freeholders announced that they were reversing their stance, and would meet on January 25 to extend pension benefits to registered domestic partners.

Death

She died on February 18, 2006, aged 49, in her home in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.[3]

Tributes

Hester's battle for pension benefits was shown in Freeheld (2007), the winner of the Academy Award for Best Short Documentary, and the feature film Freeheld (2015), in which Hester is portrayed by Julianne Moore.

The LEAGUE Foundation, which provides financial resources for American LGBT high school seniors entering their first year of institutions of higher learning, has awarded the Laurel Hester Memorial Scholarship annually since 2006.[4][5][6]

The Gay Officers Action League (GOAL) of New York awards the Laurel Hester Award.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Laurel Hester obituary accessed March 22, 2015
  2. ↑ Stacie Andree public record Retrieved July 22, 2015
  3. ↑ Wilson, Michael. "Lieutenant Who Won Pension Rights for Her Domestic Partner Dies at 49", The New York Times, February 20, 2006. Accessed December 18, 2007. "Lieutenant Hester died in the house in Point Pleasant that she owned with her partner, Stacie Andree."
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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