Justice
Some good news, for a change. I came home this evening to find the following message from Garden State Equality in my inbox concerning the case of Laurel Hester.
Today, Saturday, January 21, 2006 — the day Ocean County freeholders said they would reverse their decision and grant death benefits to the partner of Lt. Laurel Hester — is one of the most beautiful moments for civil rights in history of the State of New Jersey.
Well, for Laurel Hester and Stacey Andre, there is finally justice after having to fight one battle with cancer and another against bigotry, thanks to the support and actions of many. But the message goes on to point out that there is still much to be done, that this decision does not resolve the injustice that may face more same-sex couples under the current law.
Though Lt. Hester and Stacie Andree won their battle with the freeholders, they should never have had to fight this prolonged battle. No same-sex couple ever should. The tragedy is, there are other same-sex couples across the state who, just like Lt. Hester and Stacie Andree, have been told, “we don’t care if you’re registered domestic partners. You’re not married.”
… The law is now up to 10 of the 1,049 rights of marriage. In some cases, domestic partners in New Jersey are still denied the right to visit their partners in the hospital or to make medical decisions for their partners who are incapacitated.
… Friends, make no mistake: Marriage is the only currency of commitment the real world universally accepts. Anything less, including domestic partnership benefits, is as reliable in the real world as the phony currency from the game of Monopoly.
I gotta admit, he has a point, particularly in a state where the legislature merely “permits” cities and municipalities to establish domestic partner benefits but does not require it. The Ocean County Freeholders got the message eventually. My guess is that the reality of a boycott finally struck home, appealing to their sense of economics which probably trumped any sense of decency. (Pardon me if I don’t buy the notion of an 11th hour change of heart.) but even with the recent amendments to the state’s domestic partnership statute, it’s still optional.
Confirmed by 365Gay.Com and NJ Domestic Partnership.
January 21st, 2006 at 8:17 pm
I suspect that it wasn’t a boycott that scared them. Since they only changed their minds after a talk with Republican leadership, I’m think it finally dawned on them how bad it would look for the party. It was a potential PR nightmare. I think they saw Lt. Hester’s video plea and then imagined the footage haunting them in future political ads.
January 21st, 2006 at 11:44 pm
I’ve told my kids I hope that 25 years from now America is as ashamed of the people who are against gay marriage as our country is today of those who fought agains civil rights in the past. I was so proud to find out that my son repeated this sentiment publicly to our U.S. congressman at his high school last year.
January 22nd, 2006 at 5:14 am
TBG, I haven’t ever met your son, and *I* am proud of him. And, I think you are both right: the fact that these battles ever needed to be fought should seem like an irrational mystery in just a generation or two.
Terrance, thank you for sharing the good news. It is definitely a beautiful moment in civil rights in this country. And, even though there is so much work to do, it is important to pause and celebrate our victories as we go.
January 22nd, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Thanks for the news, T. Made my day.