Obama orders hospitals receiving federal funding to give family visitation rights to same-sex couple

[HipChick]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041505502.html

President Obama mandated Thursday that hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and allow same-sex couples to share medical power of attorney, perhaps the most significant step so far in his efforts to expand the rights of gay Americans.

The president directed the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation in a memo that was e-mailed to reporters Thursday night while he was at a fundraiser in Miami.

Administration officials and gay activists, who have been quietly working together on the issue, said the new rule will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, a move that covers the vast majority of the nation's health-care institutions.

It is currently common policy in many hospitals that only those related by blood or marriage be allowed to visit patients.

"Discrimination touches every facet of the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, including at times of crisis and illness, when we need our loved ones with us more than ever," Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in praising the decision

[MindandSoul]

1. Another small step in the right direction to gay rights!

I know President Obama is not going fast enough. . .but he certainly is going in the right direction!

[flvegan]

2. Shame I can only Rec this one time.

One step on what I hope is a long walk.

[SPedigrees]

3. I can't believe this didn't make the news today/tonight,

either on msnbc or BBC. This is great news!

[tsuki]

4. About time. nt

[Smashcut]

5. K/R

[Smashcut]

6. .

[Tailormyst]

7. Thank you Mr. President

It is a start .

[mitchtv]

8. No wonder that hospital in Ft Lauderdale changed its tune

This is great news.The only reservation I have is that it can all change in a new admin, like Gay rights in VA.

[supernova]

9. Step in the right direction

KnR.

H PoA is a BIG deal.

[Booster]

10. Thank you, President Obama. Certainly the right thing to do.

[kestrel91316]

11. Maybe that old asshat, Fred Phelps, will finally blow a gasket over this.

[liberalmuse]

12. I don't see how even those who are against gay marriage...

could have a problem with this one. If they do, they have no fucking shred of humanity left (I'm looking at you, Mr. Phelps). Good for you, Prez!

[Posteritatis]

15. The article comments are reduced to simply howling about executive orders

Well, a mix of that and "teh ghey must be destroyed!"

So yeah, they got nothin' for this one.

[Bluebear]

13. Excellent news, thanks to our President.

Now the trick is knowing not to check into a hospital that doesn't accept government funding!

[Posteritatis]

14. My favorite flame of the day comes from that article's comments, too:

"You're against sodomy only because you'd have to pry your head out first."

Hee.

[Lorien]

16. I always wondered why hospitals were allowed to determine who is

important in a patient's life. I have friends who are far more important to me than most of my relatives are, and I have a relative or two that I wouldn't want within 300 yards of me. Why do THEY get to decide who visits us when we're the ones paying for a service?