Background
She was born in Elgin, Illinois, and grew up in Florham Park, the daughter of Diana (1922–1995) and George Hester (1919–1992).
She was born in Elgin, Illinois, and grew up in Florham Park, the daughter of Diana (1922–1995) and George Hester (1919–1992).
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. 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.
The cancer metastasized and spread to her brain, and it became clear that she had little time to live.
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. She died on February 18, 2006, aged 49, in her home in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
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. The Gay Officers Action League (GOAL) of New York awards the Laurel Hester Award.