I
n the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch stands alone to do the right thing.  

Today, people across the world are standing with Laurel Hester, a dying lesbian New Jersey police officer, by sending copies of the classic book To Kill a Mockingbird to the officials in Ocean County, who are refusing to grant pension benefits to Hester and her partner Stacie Andree.

The protest is the brain-child of Michael Jensen, a writer of the political blog, The Big Gay Picture.

“Laurel was kind enough to let me interview her,” Jensen says. “And in the interview, she mentioned that her favourite novel is To Kill a Mockingbird.”

According to Jensen, sending copies of the book seemed the perfect way to express disapproval over the actions of Ocean County’s “freeholders,” the Republican officials, who have so far refused to grant Hester, and all lesbian and gay couples, domestic partnership benefits.

Without such benefits, Ms. Hester fears that her partner will lose their home after she is gone.

In denying Hester’s repeated request for benefits, the freeholders first condemned her for being a lesbian, then told a series of lies about their reasons, and then, literally, walked out on the wheelchair-bound woman.

■ The 'Infamous Five' GOP (Republican) elected freeholders of Ocean County who walked out on Laurel Hester last month during a public meeting.  They avoided the Press by leaving by the back door.

Other than a brief interview with the New York Times, Ms. Hester had not spoken to the press about her life or her fight with the county until doing the interview with Jensen.

“Have the freeholders of Ocean County ever read To Kill A Mockingbird,” Jensen asks?  “It’s all about doing the right thing, which makes me think they probably haven’t read it.  So it made sense to send them copies of the book, along with a note that says, ‘To the Freeholders of Ocean County: This is Laurel Hester’s favourite book.  Please read it.  You might learn something about doing the right thing.’”

Jensen has teamed with Garden State Equality who will actually deliver the books to the freeholders at their next meeting. State and local press is expected to be in attendance and Jensen hopes hundreds of books will be delivered to the freeholders as the media look on.  Already dozens have arrived at the Garden State Equality office.

Books should be mailed to: Steven Goldstein, 585 Standish Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666-1817. Books need to arrive by January 17th.

For more information about Operation Mockingbird or Laurel Hester, visit www.biggaypicture.com, or email Michael Jensen at michael (at) bigggaypicture.com

SEE ALSO:

Dane Wells: How A Straight, White, Middle-Aged Bush Voter Became a Dying Lesbian's Staunchest Ally.  By Michael Jensen.  This interview involves 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.  What Laurel didn't know at the time of her diagnosis was that there would be a second rock supporting her - one she had not ever dreamed of being able to count on.  His name is Dane Wells, a self-described straight, middle-aged, white guy who had never given gay rights more than a passing thought and calls himself fairly conservative. Indeed, he voted for Bush twice.  Big Gay Picture, January 6, 2006)

Laurel Hester's Legacy Just Got Bigger.  By Michael Jensen.  Laurel Hester must be feeling pretty pleased this morning.  No, the homophobic freeholders of Ocean County, NJ haven't relented on the dying woman's request to leave her pension benefits to her partner ... (Big Gay Picture, January 6, 2006)

It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life.  Michael Jensen's The three-part story of New Jersey Police Lt. Laurel Hester.  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. (Big Gay Picture, December 2005)

Freeholders Walk Out of Meeting as Public Demand Pension Fairness for Dying Gay Cop.  The tragic case of the dying police officer, who has had her request that her lesbian ‘life partner’ be allowed to receive her pension rights turned down last month by county Freeholders, took a macabre turn this evening as the elected Freeholders stormed out of their meeting. (UK Gay News, December 8, 2005)

County to Hester: "Never Mind ..."  Editorial.  After a frantic scramble, the Ocean County freeholders finally came up with what they believe is a logical reason to deny Lt. Laurel Hester's request to pass on her pension benefits to her registered domestic partner — a woman.  "We will not unilaterally extend benefits; They must be negotiated through collective bargaining," the freeholders righteously huffed.  Collective bargaining.  Yeah, that's the ticket. Never mind that Hester served the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office with valor, excellence and professionalism for more than two decades. ... (Ocean County Observer, November 27)

USA:  Straight Man Appeals for Justice for Dying Lesbian Cop.  Commentary.  Dane Wells, who describes himself as a “run-of-the-mill, middle-aged straight guy”, is not very happy with the movers and shakers of his local community, Ocean County in New Jersey.  The retired policeman is angry because Ocean County will not extend “domestic partner benefits” to a former colleague, Lt. Laurel Hester, who is terminally ill with lung cancer - and is gay. (UK Gay News, November 26, 2005)

Straight Man Appeals for Justice for Dying Lesbian Cop.  Commentary.  Dane Wells, who describes himself as a “run-of-the-mill, middle-aged straight guy”, is not very happy with the movers and shakers of his local community, Ocean County in New Jersey.  The retired policeman is angry because Ocean County will not extend “domestic partner benefits” to a former colleague, Lt. Laurel Hester, who is terminally ill with lung cancer - and is gay. (UK Gay News, November 26, 2005)

NEW JERSEY NEWSPAPER COVERAGE Of THE DECEMBER 8 FREEHOLDERS MEETING

■  A New Jersey gay activist group wants people to boycott Ocean County's chief industry, tourism, because the Board of Freeholders won't permit a veteran, dying police officer to will her pension benefits to her domestic partner. Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, pleaded with the board at Wednesday night's meeting on behalf of Lt. Laurel Hester, who is dying of metastasized lung cancer.

“I beg you, beg you with all my heart” to pass a resolution allowing the domestic partner benefits, he said. – Asbury Park Press

■  The Ocean County freeholders should drop their opposition to extending domestic-partnership benefits to county employees. This would finally allow a county Prosecutor's Office investigator dying of lung cancer to pass along her pension benefits to her domestic partner. – Editorial – Asbury Park Press (December 9, 2005)

■  “You have everything to lose. I have nothing to lose,” a dying Lt. Laurel Hester told supporters who failed again last night to convince Ocean County's freeholders to implement the Domestic Partnership Act and give her partner, Stacie Andree, the right to inherit the pension rights she earned after 24 years as a cop with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. – Ocean County Observer

■  Among those who spoke was Dick Chinery, a former chief investigator for the Prosecutor's Office who was Hester's longtime supervisor. He spoke highly of her dedication to her job over the years, calling her “a wonderful girl.”

“Please do something for her. She spent 20-some years protecting the citizens of Ocean County,” Chinery said. – The Press of Atlantic City.

Humanity Missing in County Decision.  Letter to the Editor of Asbury Park Press (December 7, 2005) from John P. Evans.