Lesbian Cop's Legacy Lives On After Death by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff March 6, 2006 - 9:00 pm ET (Toms River, New Jersey) Even though Lt. Laurel Hester died last month the legacy she leaves behind in the fight for same-sex marriage equality continues to make an impact in New Jersey. On the weekend nearly 250 people filled St. Mary's By the Sea Episcopal Church for a memorial service for Hester. Days before her death on February 18 Ocean County freeholders ended a lengthy battle over who would get her death benefits. Hester wanted them to go to her longtime partner Stacie Andree. Despite pleas including one made from her hospital room freeholders denied her request. Only after a number of demonstrations organized by Garden State Equality, New Jersey's largest LGBT civil rights group, and continuous coverage of the story in state newspapers and on radio and television did the freeholders come around - and even then only after intervention by the state GOP which feared the county's intransigence could hurt the party at the polls. As the battle in Ocean County raged on the media coverage resulted in a number of other communities amending their laws to allow gay and lesbian workers to designate partners to receive their benefits. The story also reached its high point as same-sex couples were arguing for full marriage rights before the New Jersey Supreme Court. "If we win marriage equality we can look to Sgt. Hester's case as making the difference," Garden State Equality chair Steven Goldstein told 365Gay.com on Monday. "It's hard to describe the massive impact her case had. It made people who never thought about same-sex marriage in the first place consider the inequalities gay couples have." A statewide poll reached shortly before Hester's death showed that a majority of voters in New Jersey believe gays should have marriage equality. "If we can just get out there and tell our stories it has an amazing impact," Goldstein said. After Hester died eight additional counties in New Jersey amended their ordinances to allow same-sex partners to receive employee benefits. As well a number of scholarships have been established in Hester's name. The New Jersey Supreme Court has not given a date when it will hand down a decision in the marriage case. ======================== Additional background on the story can be found here: http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/01/012106Hester.htm
