N.J. gay rights champion dies - Laurel Hester succumbs to cancer a month after winning her crusade for partner
William Brownstein
The Star-Ledger
Newark, New Jersey
N.J. gay rights champion dies
Laurel Hester succumbs to cancer a month after winning her crusade for
partner benefits
Sunday, February 19, 2006
BY MARYANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff
As a college student in the late 1970s, Laurel Hester was accidentally
outed as a lesbian. It was one of the most painful experiences of her
life.
Some 25 years later, after working behind the scenes as an investigator
with the Morris and Ocean prosecutor's offices, Hester again faced the
public as a gay woman.
Only this time, it was her choice. More than that, it was her cause.
Hester, weak from the lung cancer that was killing her, made a public
appearance before the Ocean County freeholders in December to ask that
her pension benefits be passed to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree.
Her plea put a poignant face on the gay rights movement in New Jersey
and around the nation. The freeholder board, which initially turned her
down, ultimately acquiesced last month, and other counties began
changing their rules as well.
A month after winning the right to pass her pension benefits to Andree
-- and days after the state Supreme Court heard arguments on gay
marriage -- Laurel Hester lost her battle with cancer yesterday. She
was 49.
"She meant the world to me. I'm glad what we went through is done
with," Andree said. "It was the fight that kept her going. ... She's at
peace now. There's no more pain."
After her personal plea to the freeholders failed, Hester made one more
attempt last month. By that time, she was too weak to appear before the
board in person so she sent a video message from her home in Point
Pleasant. When the freeholders relented last month, Hester thanked them
publicly from her wheelchair.
"She really did make a gigantic impact on literally the world," said
Dane Wells, her friend and former co-worker. "She was a very, very
private, guarded person. Something like this was the absolute last
thing she wanted. It took a lot of absolute courage to do what she
did."
Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, a gay rights
organization, agreed.
"Laurel Hester was one of the all-time most important figures not only
in the history of New Jersey's lesbian and gay community but in the
history of the gay rights movement," Goldstein said. "She was a
valiant, courageous, elegant woman who even in periods of abject pain
was a remarkably selfless woman."
Born in Elgin, Ill., Hester grew up in Florham Park before moving to
Ocean County in 1981. While a student at Stockton State College, where
she helped start a group for gay students, Hester felt the sting of
discrimination, she said in an interview a month before her death.
Hester was the president of the group, but she protected her identity
by using a pseudonym. In a 1977 sports column calling for NFL player
and gay rights activist Dave Kopay to speak at Stockton, Hester was
quoted -- by her real name.
After she was inadvertently outed, the North Wildwood police, for whom
she had worked two summers as a seasonal officer, said she wouldn't be
needed there for a third summer.
When she asked why, she was told it was because she was gay, she said.
Hester thought of suing but decided instead not to go public with her
fight.
After graduating in 1978 with degrees in criminal justice and
psychology, Hester started her law enforcement career as an
investigator at the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.
She moved to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office 2 1/2 years later, in
March 1982, with the caveat that she keep quiet about her sexual
orientation, she said. She largely kept that promise, confiding only in
friends who cultivated her trust over the years.
While in Ocean County, where she earned the rank of lieutenant, she
worked behind the scenes on a number of high-profile cases, devoting
most of her career to organized-crime intelligence. She helped develop
information that investigators in New York would later use for
successful prosecutions of mob figures there, Wells said.
She also worked on narcotics investigations and environmental crime and
most recently supervised juvenile delinquency cases.
"She was perhaps best known for her dedication, integrity and dignity,"
Wells said. "She was really a pioneer among women in law enforcement
and as such faced an uphill climb. She very quickly earned the respect
of men in her profession."
As she came closer to retirement, the inevitable questions about what
she would do after leaving the job started coming. She said she didn't
dare reveal her true desire -- to be a resource person for high school
gay student groups -- so she'd always make up something.
Her calling to help kids was rooted in her experiences in college. She
said that when she was outed she had no support groups, nothing at
school to guide her through that tumultuous time.
"In the '70s when I helped start that group, that was a huge
controversy," she said. "Now we're seeing high schools on that same
level, forming clubs, filing lawsuits, meeting resistance.
"My dream job was to be a resource person for any school in Ocean
County, for any kid that needs somebody to talk to, needs somebody to
listen, has questions, but is too embarrassed to ask," she said. "Just
a place to go to report incidents. A place where they could get
together as a group and realize they are not alone."
She also was realistic about her dream.
"Oh, man, I think I would have hit a ton of bricks," she said. "There
are about 700 high school (gay) groups across the nation, but that's
not nearly enough. Too many kids are being harassed, beaten. They're
afraid to go to school."
Hester never got that second career, but she still made her mark on the
gay and lesbian civil rights movement in New Jersey when she sought to
designate Andree as the recipient of her pension benefits. Her case
inspired other counties to extend pension benefits to domestic partners
of their gay and lesbian employees.
As a member of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System, Hester was
not permitted to make Andree her beneficiary. New Jersey's Domestic
Partners Act, signed in 2004, extended such benefits to state employees
but left it up to the county and local governments for their own
employees.
Knowing she was dying of lung cancer, Hester asked the freeholder board
privately in October to extend those benefits to Andree. The board said
no, citing the increased expense the county would incur and insisting
it was a matter for negotiations with the labor unions.
Hester's situation soon gained national notoriety. Some saw her
sympathetically as a dying woman being denied her last wishes. Others
viewed her as a pawn for the gay rights movement and resented the
involvement by outside groups.
The freeholders relented last month after Republican state legislators
from Ocean County promised to sponsor legislation that would address
the pension flaw. In one of his first acts after taking office, Gov.
Jon Corzine intervened, telling the freeholders he would support a
state legislative measure in the matter.
"I never expected to come out this way," Hester said of challenging the
freeholders. "So I've come full circle."
Freeholder Joseph Vicari said yesterday he was "very saddened" at the
news of Hester's death.
"She was a very dedicated, loyal employee of the county for 23 years,"
he said. "We are very proud of her service. This is a great loss not
only to the prosecutor's office, but also for law enforcement."
Although the past few months have been difficult for Hester and the
freeholder board, Vicari said, he believes the freeholders did the
right thing in helping to reverse the inequities in the pension system.
"Fortunately for Laurel Hester, she received what she wished," he said.
"She was a very kind person. Very compassionate."
Hester was predeceased by her parents, George W. and Diana J. Hester.
Besides Andree, she is survived by her brothers, George D. Hester of
Harding Township and James S. Hester of Laurel, Md.; and a sister,
Lynda Hester-D'Orio of Kinnelon.
© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
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William Brownstein
February 20, 2006
Lieutenant Who Won Pension Rights for Her Domestic Partner Dies at 49
By MICHAEL WILSON
A New Jersey police lieutenant who last month won a long campaign to
pass on pension benefits to her domestic partner died on Saturday.
The lieutenant, Laurel Hester, 49, had lung cancer, and her battle with
the disease lent her cause a profound urgency as the Ocean County
freeholders repeatedly refused to consider a resolution allowing county
law enforcement employees to designate someone other than a spouse as a
pension beneficiary.
The freeholders reversed their position on Jan. 25 after negotiations
led to a statewide change in the rules, allowing police and fire
department employees to name anyone, not just a spouse, as a
beneficiary.
Lieutenant Hester died in the house in Point Pleasant that she owned
with her partner, Stacie Andree. "I can't help but feel relieved that
she's not in pain anymore and she's going to be taken care of," Ms.
Andree said yesterday. "She's done a lot of good."
Lieutenant Hester began her career with the Ocean County prosecutor's
office in 1982, said Dane Wells, who worked as her partner in the
prosecutor's office. She was placed on sick leave in the fall of 2004,
Mr. Wells said, and officially retired last month.
Ms. Andree, 30, said she met Lieutenant Hester six years ago, and they
registered as domestic partners on Oct. 28, 2004. But under pension
rules, police and fire employees could name domestic partners as
beneficiaries only with the approval of county officials.
On Jan. 18, Lieutenant Hester appeared on a videotape during a
freeholders meeting asking for "a change for good."
The pension would allow Ms. Andree, a mechanic, to keep their house,
she said that day.
When, the following week, the freeholders met to approve the change in
benefits, Lieutenant Hester appeared in a wheelchair and removed an
oxygen tube to thank the freeholders.
"You have made yourselves an example of what democracy is all about,"
she said.
Her condition rapidly declined after the meeting, Ms. Andree said.
William Brownstein
passed away from cancer this weekend. Laurel was a gay rights activist
who took interest in fighting for benefits that gays and lesbians
continue to bring attention to in their court battles over gay marriage
and benefits that should go to the surviving partner after the other
partner's death.
Ms. Hester was from my state and a lot is being written about her
courageous struggles and achievments. I found the blog below a great
source of information and certainly one that tells her story in the
most honest and accurate way.
I urge you to click onto the links for each section rather than read
the text below of which I have included. There are many other links
within these stories but I wanted to capture the essence and main part
of these accounts for archivial purposes.
The fist section informs briefly of Ms. Hester's death this weekend but
the three sections that follow written by Michael Jensen all flow
nicely for each of the three sections with related links. The comments
of the readers are also included and certainly make interesting reading
too.
Laurel Hester was a great woman and the writer even mentions that she
was the Rosa Parks of gay rights here in New Jersey. Of course as time
goes on, that may certainly prove to be true if it hasn't already been
proven.
William Brownstein
>From the blog: The Big Gay Picture
A blog about gay and lesbian politics and culture
Laurel Hester Update: Laurel Died This Morning
By Michael Jensen
Posted on Sat Feb 18, 2006 at 02:36:59 PM PST
Tags: Laurel Hester (all tags)
This post is about Laurel Hester, a lesbian suffering from terminal
cancer in Ocean County, New Jersey who fought for, and won, the right
to leave her pension benefits to her partner. Laurel's case has had a
huge and growing impact.
I knew I'd have to write this post sooner or later, but, of course, I'd
hoped for later.
Laurel Hester died this morning from the lung cancer that has ravaged
her body for the past year and a half. Dane Wells, her close friend who
fought tirelessly for her, says that Stacie Andree, her partner, was by
her side, and that Laurel died peacefully. In an email earlier this
week, Dane had said Laurel was not doing well.
I know how many of you have followed Laurel and Stacie's struggle with
the freeholder's of Ocean County, NJ. Your thoughts, prayers, and
support for both Laurel and Stacie touched them both deeply. I've
little doubt Laurel lived as long as she did not only because she had
something to fight for, but because she believed she was fighting for
every one of us. Her passing is a terrible loss, but know that Laurel
died content having finished her life the way she had always lived
it--doing the right thing in the most honorable and ethical way
possible.
Stephen Goldstein of Garden State Equality, described Laurel as New
Jersey's Rosa Parks and there are few who would disagree. Even knowing
that her time was running out, and that she might not win her struggle
for equality before her own death, didn't faze Laurel in the least. Win
or lose, she knew how many other lives were bettered by her having
fought in the final months of her life.
It was truly an honor getting to know Laurel, as well as Stacie Andree,
and Dane Wells, three people who showed the rest of us what it means to
live a life of integrity.
http://www.biggaypicture.com/story/2006/2/18/143659/265
It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One
By Michael Jensen
Posted on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 12:40:21 AM PST
Tags: Laurel Hester, Ocean County, freeholders, domestic partnership
(all tags)
I had the great privilege this past Sunday to speak with Laurel Hester,
the woman whose terminal cancer has embroiled her in a domestic
partnership benefits controversy with the local government in Ocean
County, New Jersey. Apart from a brief interview several weeks ago with
the NEW YORK TIMES, this is only the second time Laurel has spoken to
any media, and the first time at length, about her life and the
situation in Ocean County. Over the next three days, THE BIG GAY
PICTURE will run a three-part profile of this remarkable woman.
Part One: To Make The World A Better Place
Laurel Hester has spent her whole life trying to make the world a
better place. That is why the events that have followed her diagnosis
with terminal lung cancer a year ago have seemed so strange to her. She
assumed a lifetime spent making the world a better place for others
would entitle her to a measure of fairness in her time of desperate
need.
Laurel Hester was wrong.
Earlier this year, New Jersey State changed its laws to allow counties
to give domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples. But Laurel's
county--Ocean County--has chosen not to do so. Without those benefits,
specifically her pension benefits, Laurel's partner, Stacie Andree,
stands to lose their home after Laurel is gone. When the dying woman
first asked the five elected "freeholders" who manage Ocean County to
grant those benefits, they ignored her request for six months. Then
they finally said no.
The Ocean County Freeholders who denied Laurel Hester's requestFirst,
they said no because her same-sex relationship offended them.
Then they said no because it would cost the county too much, even
though they had not a single fact to back up their claim.
The final time they didn't actually say no. Instead, during a meeting
with Laurel and her supporters, they simply ran away from the
wheelchair-bound woman.
Literally. Five grown men, all allegedly Christians, ran out of the
meeting through a back door and left a dying woman sitting there.
Christmas is this week, and the freeholders, all Republicans, will be
with their friends and family, secure in their knowledge that their
loved ones are protected should they die.
Laurel, meanwhile, will spend her last Christmas--indeed, her last
days--with fear over her partner's future gnawing away at her. This is
her story.
Laurel's first six years were lived with an alcoholic mother. Then her
mother joined Alcoholic's Anonymous and became sober. "But underneath
the sobriety she was deeply unhappy," says Laurel. "Without alcohol to
self-medicate, she became a chronic depressive."
Laurel didn't blame her mother. In fact, she adored her. "This was the
1950's," she says. "Women simply didn't admit to alcoholism and
depression. I admired my mother as a pioneer for what she did." That
included raising four kids, becoming active in A.A., and eventually
becoming the treasurer for her local group.
Nonetheless, as a young adult, Laurel felt cheated by the two illnesses
that had stolen her childhood. "I knew my family and upbringing weren't
normal," she says. "I knew other people didn't live like we did." That
included never bringing friends home and sneaking out of bed at two in
the morning to make sure her mother was all right.
And those experiences affected the young Laurel deeply. That sense of
the wrong her family suffered drove Laurel to try to make the world a
better place. And for Laurel that meant law enforcement. "I wanted to
be a cop since I was a kid," she says. "I wanted to right a wrong. To
somehow make things right for other people."
At Stockton College in New Jersey, Laurel studied criminal justice and
psychology, as well as taking a few courses in women's studies. She
also co-founded the Gay People's Union, a campus activist group devoted
to advancing gay and lesbian rights. She did so despite fears that her
pro-gay activity might put her dreams of working in law enforcement at
risk.
During the summers, she worked as an intern for the North Wildwood
Police Department. She loved the job, but when a campus reporter
inadvertently outed her during an interview, her supervisors in North
Wildwood got wind of Laurel's sexuality.
She lost the internship. "A lawyer offered to take the case," says
Laurel. "But I didn't want to do that. I felt suing would start my
career off on the wrong foot."
After graduating, Laurel found work with the Morris County police
department. Her supervisor made it clear that Laurel's employment
hinged on her staying closeted. "I didn't feel ashamed of being a
lesbian," she says. Indeed, she had known from an early age she was
gay. "It did frighten and depress me," she says. "I had no idea there
was anyone else like me, but deep down I also knew there was nothing
wrong with me."
Laurel also knew she would be an effective cop and could do much good.
Even though a life in the closet was a sacrifice, she was willing to
make that sacrifice if it allowed her to follow her calling.
Laurel was one of only two women in the Morris police department. She
says the men treated her fine, but only to a point. "There was a line
that couldn't be crossed and that was socializing with the guys," she
says.
And no socializing meant none of the old-boys-network that helped with
promotions. "But the biggest drawback," says Laurel "was that I didn't
have any mentors, and that is so important to learning about being a
cop. That meant I had to work even harder."
It also meant taking cases no one else wanted.
One of her first assignments came in the shape of a cardboard box
stuffed with papers that had literally been shoved around the station
for six months. After taking the box, Laurel says she told herself,
"I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
Laurel sorted through the mounds of paperwork, all of which pertained
to one individual person and, after countless hours of poring over
prescriptions, receipts, and slogging around to pharmacists and
doctor's office, she uncovered a prescription drug ring that had gone
undetected by everyone else.
Her work closed eight pharmacies and cost several doctors their drug
licenses. Not that she bragged about it.
Dane Wells, a fellow detective at the time, marvels how Laurel cared
not a whit about getting credit for her work. "Many times I saw her
work furiously on a case to bring it to a conclusion, and then let the
coup-de-grace be executed by someone else," Wells says. "By the time
the front-page story appeared announcing the arrest and showing the
preening cops, Laurel was already back tucked away in the basement of
the courthouse quietly working on the next case. But you had to see it
for yourself because Laurel would never tell you of her role."
Laurel herself admits to as much. "My trademark is sharing credit," she
says. "I think it's what has made me successful."
For twenty-four years, Laurel Hester did make the world a better place.
She risked her life busting drug-rings. She put criminals away and did
tedious investigative work that other agencies then used to solve their
cases. She never knew which work paid off and didn't care. It was all
necessary anyway.
What is Laurel most proud of? "Every single day," she says. "I love my
job so much, feel so proud of the work I did, and how I gave it my
all." But she also adds, "If I have any regrets, it's that I wasn't
able to do more. Which is a typical response for the child of an
alcoholic."
One of Laurel's cases does give her special satisfaction.
Two drug dealers were murdered during a drug deal gone wrong. Laurel
and her partner on the case knew who the killers were within
forty-eight hours. "Proving it was a lot harder," she says.
It took four years, in fact. "It felt hopeless at times," says Laurel.
But she persisted and eventually she prevailed. Six years after the
murders took place, a jury convicted the killers. "Even if they were
drug-dealers, they deserved justice after the way they had been
slaughtered," says Laurel. "And their families deserved justice, too."
How ironic then that when it mattered most in her life, Laurel could
not get justice for herself.
Part 2: Terminal cancer and the five Grinches of Ocean County
< Christian Club Denied on California Campus Because They Discriminate
Against Gays | The "Rules" for Safer Sex Haven't Changed >
Comments
Display:
It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One | 7 comments (7 topical,
0 hidden) | Post A Comment
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One (#1)
by Anonymous User on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 10:13:14 AM PST
It is a shame that someone can protect the freedom and make Ocean
County a safer place to live, yet she has to spend her last days
worrying that once she is gone will her partner be taken care of. Ms.
Hester has spent her whole life making her home a better and safer
place, all the time saving for her and her partner when retirement
comes. When the chips are down and the pension that she has earned
should be paid out to her family -- her partner -- it is not recognized
because they are not legally married. What do same sex couples have to
do to prove to those Republican lawmakers that we deserve and want the
same rights as everyone else. When will they learn that this is an
issue of equality and security for same sex couples to be able to be
there for a sick partner or know that when your time comes, your
partner will be taken care of. That is all that we want equal rights.
[ Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One (#2)
by Anonymous User on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 07:06:34 PM PST
Shame them! Tell the mayors, council members, real estate interests,
and tourist attractions why it's wrong to deny benefits to Laurel
Hester, a police officer who served NJ for 24 years:
dfl...@co.ocean.nj.us, jwi...@co.ocean.nj.us, jpe...@co.ocean.nj.us,
tma...@co.ocean.nj.us, GLaS...@co.ocean.nj.us
[ Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One (#3)
by Michael Jensen on Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 07:13:17 PM PST
Don't you worry, Anonymous. I've got more coming!
[ Parent | Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One (#4)
by Anonymous User on Fri Dec 23, 2005 at 02:08:47 PM PST
Those 5 men ARE NOT Christian men..enough said
[ Parent | Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One (#5)
by Anonymous User on Tue Dec 27, 2005 at 06:03:26 PM PST
I'm so glad I read this story. I had overlooked it before, but its both
remarkable and heinous at the same time. I feel amazement at the kind
of officer Laurel was; and disgusted by the cowardice of the
"freeholders" of Ocean County New Jersey.
[ Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One (#6)
by Anonymous User on Mon Jan 16, 2006 at 10:28:01 AM PST
All this hulla-baloo disgusts me! Does anyone out there know the
TRUTH? Does anyone out there look "outside the box"?
Please understand - I am a straight, married woman who happens to have
several gay and lesbian friends, therefore, I don't feel my opinion is
biased in anyway.
I TOTALLY AGREE with the FREEHOLDERS decision NOT to allow Ms Hester's
partner rights to her pension. First of all, after Ms Hester's
death,her partner is entitled to whatever Ms Hester paid into her
pension. There is also such a thing as life insurance - which Ms
Hester can continue after her retirement.
To hear people go on and on about her "poor partner" who will lose the
house, is just ridiculous. The girl is 30 years old, certainly young
enough to work and support herself (to say nothing of the fact that she
WILL have the $$ from what was stated above). I see no need for the
County to support her!
Did anyone bother to look into the last year of Ms Hester's career?
Does anyone know that she went out sick within weeks (if not days) of
her promotion to LT? (certainly by no fault of her own, but please read
on) Ms Hester did not have enough "sick time" left to stay "on the
books" so she could retire with a year at her new rank - which would
increase her pension benefits. Did anyone bother to find out the facts
about that? That her co-workers in the Ocean County Prosecutors Office
DONATED their sick time to her so she could achieve that goal?
I would count that towards her her getting back her contribution to
others.
Don't get me wrong, I wish Ms Hester only the best and hope she triumps
over her illness, but lets not make her situation a dog and pony show!
[ Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part One (#7)
by Anonymous User on Fri Jan 20, 2006 at 12:16:22 PM PST
It's not about whether or not the sother can support herself --
although she wouldn't be the first significant other to suffer
debilitating grief enough after her partner's death to need that sort
of support for a while, much less to deal with all the fiscal things
that gay people have to pay for out of pocket that straight married
folks don't have to.
It's that a person's benefits are a significant part of their pay
package and whether it's okay for these pigs to steal from a dying
woman's paycheck.
http://www.biggaypicture.com/story/2005/12/21/04021/757
It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part Two
By Michael Jensen
Posted on Thu Dec 22, 2005 at 06:16:16 AM PST
Tags: Laurel Hester, Ocean County, NJ, domestic partner benefits (all
tags)
Laurel HesterThis is the second part of our three part series about
Laurel Hester, the woman whose terminal cancer has embroiled her in a
domestic partnership benefits controversy with the local government in
Ocean County, New Jersey. (You can read Part One here) Apart from a
brief interview several weeks ago with the NEW YORK TIMES, this is only
the second time Laurel has spoken to any media, and the first time at
length, about her life and the situation in Ocean County. THE BIG GAY
PICTURE is proud to profile this remarkable woman.
Part Two: The Five Grinches of Ocean County
A year ago, Laurel Hester learned she had terminal lung cancer. You can
hear it in her voice when she speaks. She talks softly, almost in a
whisper, taking long pauses between sentences to marshal her strength.
Thanks to a recent change in New Jersey state law, counties in that
state have the ability to grant their employees domestic partner
benefits. Ocean County, long a Republican stronghold, did not do so.
After learning her cancer was terminal, Laurel, assisted by her former
co-worker, Dane Wells, approached her supervisors about changing the
county rules so she could leave her pension to her partner, Stacie
Andree. Without it, Laurel fears Stacie will lose their home in Point
Pleasant, New Jersey.
About the reaction of her supervisors, Laurel says, "It wasn't that I
expected them to react badly. I just didn't expect it [their reaction]
to be so good. I haven't had one single bad experience with them."
Her supervisors and co-workers may have been supportive, but the
decision to offer domestic partner benefits wasn't theirs to make. That
decision rested in the hands of Ocean County's "freeholders", elected
county representatives with both administrative and policy making
powers.
Laurel and her supervisors made the formal request to the county's five
Republican freeholders--John C. Bartlett, John P. Kelly, James F.
Lacey, Gerry P. Little, and Joseph H. Vicari--last June.
The freeholders knew Laurel was dying, but they chose not to respond
for almost six months.
Finally, Laurel and two dozen supporters went to a freeholders meeting
to again request action be taken. The freeholders said the matter had
been under advisement the entire time and that they were now choosing
not to act on it.
Since then, the freeholders have offered a series of reasons for
denying Laurel's request.
Granting the request would "violate the sanctity of marriage,"
Freeholder Kelly told the Asbury Park Press.
Despite repeated requests from the media and county residents,
Freeholder Kelly has refused to elaborate on what Laurel's request has
to do with other marriages. Needless to say, the county doesn't require
any other employees to prove the "sanctity" of their marriages.
Next, the freeholders claimed the financial burden would be too much
for the county to absorb. They made this claim even though Ocean County
administrator Alan Avery later told the New Jersey Star-Ledger that the
county never studied the issue and, at the time, had no figures to back
up the claim.
Still grappling to find a plausible excuse, the freeholders turned to
the overburdened New Jersey pension system. Granting Laurel's request,
they claimed, would put undue stress on the state's pension system.
This dodge particularly bothers the freeholders' critics who note that
each of the five men are entitled to generous pensions. And not
everyone approves of how New Jersey politicians come by those pensions,
including the five freeholders. The Ocean County Observer, in an
editorial excoriating the freeholders' treatment of Laurel, said,
"Never mind that the freeholders have demonstrated stupendous greed
through their own history of feeding at the public trough, often in
jobs that helped boost their own pensions."
"Tacking" and "kiting" are two terms to describe how public officials
in New Jersey can boost their pensions. Tacking involves acquiring a
variety of part-time, but high paying jobs that, taken together, can
add up to a generous pension. Kiting refers to the fact that New Jersey
pensions are based on a person's three highest years of income. It is
not unknown for public officials to give each other high paying jobs
for three years to create--or "kite"--the highest pension possible.
Laurel Hester never sought to enrich herself at the expense of others.
She never "tacked" jobs together or attempted to "kite" herself to a
better pension. Instead, she did her job for twenty-four years and all
she wants is what she earned. When asked how she feels about the
freeholders citing New Jersey's troubled pension system as a reason to
deny her request, Laurel says, "It's outrageous. It's a well-known fact
that the pension system has suffered many egregious abuses. I am not
one of them. And I resent being lumped in with them."
Offering up yet another excuse for their behavior, the freeholders
tried to blame the state. "It's the fault of the Legislature for not
mandating [domestic partner] benefits for all public employees,"
Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari told the Ocean County Observer. He added,
"I anguish with this every day. It hurts me. Why I can't do the right
thing now was caused by the state Legislature."
Five other New Jersey counties have not found themselves similarly
hindered. Indeed, two of them--Mercer and Union--have extended domestic
partner benefits to their employees as a direct result of how Ocean
County has treated Laurel.
On a final note, Freeholder Vicari added, "I am praying for her."
At this point, Laurel and her supporters didn't think they could be any
more disgusted by the behavior of the freeholders. They were wrong.
At the freeholders' last public meeting, on Dec. 7th,, a crowd of over
a hundred people arrived to question them about their decision. Among
the crowd were ministers, decorated war veterans, and law enforcement
officials.
After twenty people spoke in favor of Laurel's case (and none against),
the freeholders chose not to respond. Instead, they literally ran out
the back door rather than face any questions.
"It had to be the most despicable act of cowardice--political or
otherwise--that I have ever witnessed," says Mr. Wells of the event.
Even then, the freeholders weren't finished trying to spin themselves
out of the situation. On Dec 15th, the Ocean County Observer reported
that the freeholders finally had a dollar figure as to how much the
benefits would cost.
The amount? $114,000 to $200,000 a year, or roughly 23 to 46 cents per
county resident per year--an insignificant amount in the county's $300
million annual budget.
Nonetheless, Freeholder Kelly called the cost "tremendous". He went on
to extol everything the county had done for Laurel. In fact, her salary
continues to be paid, and the county provides life insurance for her.
"The life insurance...and the money Hester put into the pension system
amounts to about $450,000," Freeholder Kelly told the Ocean County
Observer. "She can leave that to her partner."
The freeholder left out a few details. Hester continues to receive pay
only because her co-workers have donated a year's worth of sick leave.
The sick leave is Laurel's as a result of the decency of her
co-workers; the freeholders themselves had nothing to do with it. Of
the freeholders' comments, Dane Wells says, "I was sickened by them.
Outraged at how misleading they were."
Even worse, Laurel only receives the life insurance benefit as long as
she is on the payroll. Her sick leave runs out in less than two weeks
and at that time, she will legally "retire." In other words, in order
to collect the life insurance Freeholder Kelly touts as a benefit from
the county, Laurel must die before she retires at the end of the year.
When I asked her how that made her feel, she was quiet for a long
moment. "It's really unfair of them," she says. "I'm hurt that they're
trying to portray me as some sort of greedy, public servant. I'd say
it's a gross effort to mislead the public."
But not everyone in Ocean County is unhappy with the freeholders'
behavior. John Tomicki of the League of American Families, a state
group that opposes domestic partner benefits, told the New Jersey Star
Ledger "It's their [the freeholders] decision, which is what the law
allows. They're obviously reflecting the values of their community."
Laurel and her supporters sincerely hope that is not the case.
http://www.biggaypicture.com/story/2005/12/22/01228/367
It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part 3
By Michael Jensen
Posted on Thu Dec 22, 2005 at 09:33:59 PM PST
Tags: Laurel Hester, Ocean County, NJ, freeholders, domestic partner
benefits (all tags)
This is the final part of our three part series about Laurel Hester,
the woman whose terminal cancer has embroiled her in a domestic
partnership benefits controversy with the local government in Ocean
County, New Jersey. (You can read Parts One and Two here and here).
Apart from a brief interview several weeks ago with the NEW YORK TIMES,
this is only the second time Laurel has spoken to any media, and the
first time at length, about her life and the situation in Ocean County.
THE BIG GAY PICTURE is proud to profile this remarkable woman.
Part Three: To Kill A Mockingbird
I asked Laurel how she felt when freeholder Robert Kelly cited moral
reasons, specifically the sanctity of marriage, as the reason for
denying her request to leave her partner her benefits.
"Disgusted," she says. "Incredulous. As if we're back in the 1970's
with that sort of mentality. I can't believe I let myself become naive
enough to believe that most people don't care about [sexual
orientation] anymore." She was also shocked by how judgmental they
were. "How can they call themselves Christian?" she asks.
As to what she felt when the five freeholders literally walked out on
her during their last meeting, Laurel says, "I thought that they were
cowards. There is no other word for it. I simply could not believe that
they did it." Ironically, she is happy they did. "It's harder to fight
your enemies when they pose as your friends," she said.
I asked Laurel what she would say to the freeholders if given the
chance. She is quiet for a while, then says, "That I really want to
forgive you for what you're doing, but I'm having a really hard time
doing it. That you don't realize how deeply this affects me and my
partner. How disrespectful it is."
And respect is something that is hugely important to Laurel. It's one
of the foundations on which her life is built.
"My life is about respect and reputation and honor and doing the right
thing," she says. That is why the freeholders' treatment of her is such
a shocking slap in the face. For twenty-four years, she put her life on
the line to keep all of the citizens of Ocean Country safe. "And then
they treat me this way."
I asked Laurel why she hadn't approached the county years ago about
domestic partner benefits. After all, her partner, Stacie, is an auto
mechanic whose job doesn't provide health insurance. "My work was too
important," says Laurel. "I didn't want to rock the boat and jeopardize
all the good I could do by trying to get something for myself."
Laurel Hester was willing to stay silent if it meant being able to do
her job. Now, however, her time is running out. "If I'm a sacrificial
lamb, so be it," she says. "It is worth it because there are hundreds
of people affected by this. Hundreds of couples will be helped."
Two New Jersey counties--Union and Mercer--have already passed domestic
partner benefits specifically because of what has transpired in Ocean
County. [A third--Monmouth County--had unofficially done so as I went
to post this.] The two counties' actions make Laurel happy. "If there
is one good thing from my having terminal cancer and dying at a young
age, it is the fact that I've made a mark on society," she says.
Nonetheless, Laurel fears for her partner's future.
Laurel first met Stacie Andree seven years ago while playing volleyball
in Philadelphia. At first, their nineteen-year age difference threw
Laurel off. "It never occurred to me to consider her in a romantic
light. Not that it [the age difference] bothered me," she says.
They got to know each other over soda and fries after the volleyball
games. "Over time," she says, "I realized Stacie was much more mature
than people her age and that impressed me. She has more experiences
than a lot of people twice her age."
Eventually the two fell in love. "She has the kindest heart and
greatest sense of humor," Laurel says, adding that Stacie has been a
huge source of strength throughout their ordeal. "If I were to put her
on the phone right now," she says, "she would you tell that I always
call her my rock. She's the wind beneath my wings."
But Stacie isn't Laurel's only source of strength. Dane Wells, a
self-described straight, middle-aged, white guy, has fought
tooth-and-nail for Laurel in her struggle with the freeholders. They
worked together in Morris County back in the early 80's and picked up
their friendship again earlier this year.
Dane has attended meetings, made phone calls, and sent emails all
around the world in an attempt to bring attention to Laurel's case. And
at some cost to himself. "It's hurt my standing in the community," he
says. "But I don't care. Laurel has done so much for others. She
deserves better than this."
Dane's commentaries in the media and letters to the editor have been
eloquent and impassioned. Some people have been surprised that the
former Marine, who graduated number one in his police academy class,
has taken up this cause. Dane doesn't care what they think. As for
Laurel's sexual orientation, Dane says, "It never mattered to me at
all. I only saw Laurel, the person."
"I met Dane when I worked for the Morris County Police Department,"
Laurel says. "I can't say enough about him as a partner or what he's
done for me these last few months. He's extraordinary. It makes me want
to cry."
To Kill a MockingbirdAs we're chatting at the end of our talk, Laurel
softly told me to ask what her favorite book was. I do so. "To Kill A
Mockingbird," she says. "I even named my dog Boo."
Her choice doesn't surprise me. One can easily see her as a modern-day
Atticus Finch.
Have the Ocean County freeholders ever read To Kill a Mockingbird? I
wonder.
The freeholders next meet on Jan. 18th. Wouldn't it be something if,
after Christmas, they were to return to their desks to find dozens of
copies To Kill A Mockingbird waiting for them? If they read one, they
might even learn a thing or two about doing the right thing.
Toward that end, I propose we all send the freeholders of Ocean County
copies of To Kill a Mockingbird. Any used bookstore will have some (and
Amazon.com currently has over 300 used copies available, starting at 90
cents).
Also, include a note that says, "To the Freeholders of Ocean County:
This is Laurel Hester's favorite book. Please read it. You might learn
something about doing the right thing."
In doing so, we'll be like the citizens of Bedford Falls, rallying
around George Bailey in his time of need to show him how much they
care. Let's show Laurel--and the freeholders--that we, too, care and
that hers, indeed, has been a wonderful life.
Here's the address where to send the books:
Ocean County Freeholders, c/o Steve Goldstein
585 Standish Road
Teaneck, NJ; 07666
Here are the freeholders phone numbers: James F.Lacey: (732) 929-2004;
John P. Kelly: (732) 929-2003; John C. Bartlett, Jr: (732) 929-2116;
Gerry P. Little: (732) 929-2001; Joseph H. Vicari: (732) 929-2002 or
you can email them at: CountyCo...@co.ocean.nj.us
Please, take a moment to order the book right now from Amazon.com and
have it shipped directly to the Freeholders - it will only take a
minute and won't cost more than a few dollars if you select one of the
used books.
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>
Comments
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It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part 3 | 5 comments (5 topical, 0
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Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part 3 (#1)
by Anonymous User on Fri Dec 23, 2005 at 05:57:53 PM PST
Thank you so much for this eye-opening summary of Laurel Hester's
experiences! The media certainly did NOT do justice to the injustice
of her crisis. I had to read all three parts---I couldn't stop.
Your book idea is colossal and I hope that many will make the effort to
send THAT nessage to the "free"holders. I haven't found a more
despicable group such as these "men" in all my years as a proud, out
New Jerseyan.
Shame on them.
OK. I've had my rant. Now it's time to do something. Thanks again
for educating me, completely, about the despotic, uncaring leadership
of that county. Thanks, too, for inspiring me to want to act. Laurel
and Stacie!!! Hang in there! You're in my heart and my prayers.
[ Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part 3 (#2)
by Anonymous User on Sat Dec 24, 2005 at 08:16:09 AM PST
The actions of the freeholders are descpicable!
I am a gay man. My partner and I have been together for 14 years - much
much longer than most heterosexual marriages these days. We both are
professionals and pay taxes. As everyone knows, the days of pensions
are pretty much gone being replaced with 401K and individual retirement
plans. At least in that respect we can control who gets out
"pensions".
I would suggest to Laurel that she and Stacie find a willing man
(straight or gay) that is outraged over the actions of the freeholders,
draw up appropriate legal documents with prenuptuals saying that
Laurel's property and pension belong to Stacie and then she (Laurel)
and the guy marry. That means her benefits are passed in the legal
system. After she dies then Stacie would marry the same man thus
transferring the pension. Kick the freeholders in the teeth within the
system. That way the pension goes to the intended person and there is
nothing those freeholder scallywags can do! I would also urge other
gay people finding themselves in similar situations to enter the same
types of arrangements. The idea that giving same sex benefits would
hurt the pension system ... it is set up for EVERY employee and if the
scum controlling the pensions refuse to give benefits to same sex
partners then get married to someone of the opposite sex just to make
sure the pension gets to the right person ... remember, you have paid
into the pension system all of your life and it is your money. The
money is there, they freeholder types of people just are too feeble
minded to understand anything outside of their narrow and childish view
of reality.
To anyone reading this I urger you NOT to patronize any business that
is associated with any of the freeholders. And make sure the press and
the freeholders know that you are no longer doing business with them!
Laurel, I am truly sorry to hear about what is happening. It is
extremely unfair and unjust. In the very least I urge you to get
Stacie to write a scathing book about the entire experience. Once
publish I will definitely buy a copy, encourage my friends to get one,
post information about it in every gay mailing list I am on as well as
urge people who patronize my business to buy the book. When it is your
time to go I hope that it is very quick, painless, in your sleep and
after a wonderful day spent with your partner. My father died of
cancer two years ago so I know in some limited way part of what Stacie
is going through. And Stacie, I am sorry for what you will go through
after Laurel passes. I don't know what I would do without my other
half.
Please stick it to the freeholders. Demand equal rights. The desire
and right to provide for your partner is not a special right it is one
that all couples should have.
[ Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part 3 (#3)
by Anonymous User on Tue Dec 27, 2005 at 12:28:51 PM PST
This story breaks my heart.
I am a straight woman living in a state that has some very, very red
patches, and the possibility that things like this can happen to a
police officer, the very people who spend their lives dedicated to the
good of their community is chilling.
My husband and I married after ten committed years, in part because
there was a move to make domestic partner benefits illegal in our
state. Laurel and Stacie do not have that option, which is shameful in
a country that is supposed to be built on freedom and equality.
My copy of To Kill A Mockingbird is going into the mail this evening.
I hope that the freeholders hearts are moved to do the right thing.
Whether out of a sense of justice or fear for their political lives, I
don't much care.
[ Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part 3 (#4)
by Anonymous User on Sat Dec 31, 2005 at 11:22:05 PM PST
I came across this story via Margaret Cho's website. I live in the UK
where thankfully this situation will not arise as a result of the
'civil partnership' law enacted last week.
I have sent my copy of TKAMB..via Amazon.com I hope this campaign is a
success..so much for the land of the free.,,surely it should read
except if your 'gay, black, female.....
Where is the left wing!!!!
[ Reply to This ]
Re: It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life, Part 3 (#5)
by Anonymous User on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 07:58:48 AM PST
I had the pleasure of once living in Ocean County and sadly know of
those types of people who get elected and make decisions based on their
personal opinions. They are not objective in any way. However, I
agree with Laurel's fight and I have the same pension benefits and have
always wondered, is this why New Jersey Police and Fire Pension is so
rich?
I'm happy to see that her partnet will be able to keep their home
because of Laurel's fight. It's a great victory and I truly feel that
even though they were pushed into the decision Corzine was correct in
making those phone calls to those freeholders to make it happen. God
speed sister.
May you be lifted up by an angels wing and carried to heaven for you
too are a saint in this world.
per...@gmail.com
Then, another (I knew it would pop up bc it does when someone brings up white bread) This is amazing for any woman to accomplish. Any religion,race and truly it disgusts me that this is always brought up. Nothing to do with Color at all- but, you made it so.
I'm going to take this negativity out of such an amazing story and simply right thank you for your service to the state of NJ. Thank you for putting your life on the line. I'm sorry I wasn't there fighting as well. I know you'd have demanded Angel assignment in heaven so please look down upon Stacee and thank you for fighting all our fights.