Freeheld: The Laurel Hester Story Wins an OSCAR!

Filed Under Gay Awards, Gay Entertainment, Gay Film, Gossip | February 25th, 2008 

Well, it was the OSCAR’s last night and one of the films that I’ve mentioned here has won an OSCAR for Best Documentary Short Subject — Freeheld: The Laurel Hester Story

Laurel and Stacie from a scene in Freeheld, a Documentary by Cynthia Wade (Photographer Heidi Gutman 2006)Freeheld follows the desperate battle of Lieutenant Laurel Hester, a dying New Jersey police officer who fights to transfer her pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree. On this nail-biting journey, Laurel loses her hair, her health, her badge and, ultimately, her life — but not before winning a historic court case witnessed around the world.

Director Cynthia Wade and producer Vanessa Roth were both on hand at the Academy Awards to accept the OSCAR.

In Wade’s acceptance speech she said, “Thank you. It was Lieutenant Laurel Hester’s dying wish that her fight for, against discrimination would make a difference for all the same sex couples across the country that face discrimination every day. Discrimination that I don’t face as a married woman.”

Producer, Vanessa Roth in her acceptance speech said: “And to all our supporters and families who believe that even a 38-minute movie could change minds and lives and our children who remind us about what’s really important. And to Stacie, who’s here tonight, who’s really auto mechanic by day but hero in life who always did what was right. And she’s here tonight. So thank you so much.”

Freeheld is expected to come to DVD sometime this Spring/Summer.

Congrats to all!

Related Links:

- Wade and Roth on the Thank You Cam
- Official OSCAR Site
- Freeheld the Movie
- New Jersey’s gay rights activists celebrate an Oscar
- ‘Freeheld’ Nominated for an Academy Award for ‘Best Documentary Short Subject’