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Blue Jersey has won the 2007 Lieutenant Laurel Hester Prize for Citizen Courage

by: Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality chair

Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 05:42:05 PM EST

( - promoted by Hopeful)

Garden State Equality is pleased to announce that Blue Jersey is the winner of our 2007 Lieutenant Laurel Hester Prize for Citizen Courage. Blue Jersey will receive the Hester Prize at Garden State Equality's Legends Dinner on Sunday, March 4, 2007 at 5:00 pm at the Maplewood Country Club.

The vote of the Garden State Equality board was unanimous. This is the first time the Hester Prize will go to an organization rather than to an individual.

Previous winners of the Lieutenant Laurel Hester Prize for Citizen Courage have included:

In 2005, Lt. Hester herself.
In 2006, Stacie Andree, Lt. Hester's partner; and Dane Wells, the retired Ocean County police officer who joined with Garden State Equality to win domestic-partner benefits for Lt. Hester.
In 2006, Lily McBeth, the teacher who successfully fought the efforts of parents to ban her from the classroom because she is transgender.

Garden State Equality is awarding the Hester Prize to Blue Jersey for being a national model in how a blog can become an unstoppable engine to move society toward equality for all.

No other blog in America has been as passionate a voice for individuals who have faced heartbreaking discrimination. Blue Jersey played a leading role in fighting on behalf of Lt. Hester, Lily McBeth and most recently, "Cher," partnering with Garden State Equality to make their stories known in every home in New Jersey. In each case, justice ultimately prevailed.

No other blog in America has been a stronger champion for marriage equality. Blue Jersey has been relentless in signalizing to public officials that marriage equality is vitally important not only to the LGBTI community, but also to the predominantly straight progressive community.

Garden State Equality will shortly announce more details about the Legends Dinner, at which we will present the Hester Prize to Blue Jersey. Again, the Legends Dinner is on Sunday, March 4, 2007 at 5:00 pm at the Maplewood Country Club.

All of us at Garden State Equality extend our congratulations and heartfelt appreciation to everyone in the Blue Jersey community.

We love you.

Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality chair :: Blue Jersey has won the 2007 Lieutenant Laurel Hester Prize for Citizen Courage

Tags: bisexual, lesbian, gay, Garden State Equality, Blue Jersey, marriage equality, transgender intersex, (All Tags)

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Blue Jersey has won the 2007 Lieutenant Laurel Hester Prize for Citizen Courage | 7 comments

a little misty.... (4.00 / 1)

...and very proud.

activist for hire.

by: Jay Lassiter @ Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 17:12:36 PM CST

by: you @ soon

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Ain't it great... (0.00 / 0)

When a plan and some people of good will come together?

Congrats, Juan and the gang. I hope everyone associated with the production of the site get to attend the dinner and share in the well-deserved accolades.

The nom de plume has a long and distinguished history.

by: Tandalayo Scheisskopf @ Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 00:21:39 AM CST

by: you @ soon

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In the same room, and with our friends (0.00 / 0)

You know, the entire Blue Jersey team's never been in the same room at the same time. There are people who have never met others who work on the blog. Names that haven't met faces.

What a wonderful night to get everybody together, and in the presence of the members of Garden State Equality, of whom we are so incredibly proud and who have touched us all - gay and straight - with their groundbreaking work.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 05:49:04 AM CST

by: you @ soon

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rosi.... (0.00 / 0)

....joey gets the last dance, but i get the first. i am fully bipedal again and ready to cut a rug. (no, i am not as good on the dancefloor and senator menendez, but i digress.)

rosi's right about this being a perfect excuse for the blue jerery gang to come together under on roof and *finally* put a name to a face to a screenname!!

for me, the bottom line is this is a tangible link to Laurel Hester and this is a huge honor and delight.

this is so important that i may even get my partner greg out of the garden and into a suit to come up to the dinner with me. (he's not really into pooitics at all, but even he knows this is too cool to pass up.)

activist for hire.

by: Jay Lassiter @ Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 07:36:40 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Jay, I'll dance with you anytime... (0.00 / 0)

... I'm so glad you're bipedal again (yay Jay!). I'd dance with you anytime, anywhere, happily. But I remember you told me you wanted the biggest, gayest wedding ever and you couldn't wait till you could have it. I'll save my greatest joy for that.

And you know I'm good for the sequins.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 10:49:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Yeah! (0.00 / 0)

Good on ya!

I am so proud of you.

by: SmartyJones @ Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 08:12:42 AM CST

by: you @ soon

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Congratulations! (0.00 / 0)

I fell in love with Blue Jersey and with GSE as soon as I learned about them! It is thrilling that GSE gives a nod to you in the name of the late Lt. Hester. I am proud to be affiliated with both organizations. It's a good Sunday!

Illigitimi non carborundum... Ignorantia mater metus est. *** -There is no gray area in equality.

by: mwsavant @ Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 15:40:19 PM CST

by: you @ soon

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