A small victory. For now at least!

[12voltman59]

Checking my email box this morning----I received this message from one of my US Senators:

I am proud to announce that this past week, a decision by the Obama Administration to extend hospital visitation rights to same-sex partners was finally put into effect. Under this decision, individuals in same-sex relationships are now able to designate their partners as someone eligible to make major medical decisions for them.

In April of 2010, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) that ordered HHS to implement rules that would extend equal visitation rights to same-sex partners. Additionally, these rules will ensure that the powers of attorney and advanced care directives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans are honored. By guaranteeing the validity of these legal documents, individuals in same-sex relationships can appoint their partners as their medical proxy without fear of discrimination or a disregard for these documents by the hospital.

HHS finalized and implemented the rules last week. Hospitals that receive Medicaid and Medicare funding — the vast majority of hospitals — must comply with these new regulations or risk losing federal funding. I believe this is an important step forward in promoting equality.

Anytime a loved one is in the hospital — whether for an unexpected injury or long-term illness — it is a stressful situation. During this time of stress and uncertainty, it is important that a patient has a guaranteed right to have his or her partner present to help make important medical decisions, as well as provide comfort. Today, the injustice of hospitals denying these rights to same-sex couples ends.

I have long advocated for equal rights for the LGBT community. In my early days in Congress, I voted against the Defense of Marriage Act. Throughout my career, I have supported important legislation such as the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. I will continue to the fight for LGBT equal rights in the 112th Congress.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown
United States Senator

I would imagine though---if Obama doesn't get re-elected in 2012 and we get a Tea Party type member for president--like God forbid, Michelle Bachman---this would be one of those things that would be quickly overturned in such an administration.

[darkeyes]

When I read much of what is happening in the US it makes me increasinlgy glad I am British and European and not American when it comes to matters of sexuality.. there simply is not the same angst in our society about homosexuality at least, and no really coordinated hostility to gay rights as exists in the US. Simple things such as you have outlined in your opener Voltie are now enshrined in our laws. For all the fact that in many ways the US is light years ahead of us in some attitudes and social issues the reverse of the coin is that we are just as far ahead of your in others.

We have our own angsts about other matters concerning sex and sexuality and there are still many who hate the very idea of gay and bisexual having the freedoms we do now to live our lives as we wish to and still we suffer much prejudice.. but in the main the argument is won even allowing for opposition to us.. no major and few minor parties oppose gay rights even if there are diffferences in emphasis between them. none of this means it will always be so and that the pendulum will never swing back for I firmly believe at some time in the future it shall do so.. but given the progress we have made in the last 50 years I am confident we have a real prospect of weathering any such storm and coming out the stronger for it...

I only wish I was quite so confident about the US which still has huge swathes of public opinion against social progress for gay and bisexual people, and much of that is organised and very well organised too. When one of the two major political parties is openly hostile to gay rights, and has a better than evens chance of being the government of the country within a few years, this does not make for easy progress and yet even in the US, in the last half century much progress has been made.

For a liberal democracy to have so much polarisation on this issue seems a strange thing to me, but it isnt so long ago that my own so called liberal democracy was not so much schizophrenic but downright hostile.. and things have changed vastly for the better.. it is a battle which Americans can and must win, and for the good of all of us around the world it is essential that they do so.. for things to go otherwise would be very foreboding for other liberal democracies as well as the rest of the world..

[Long Duck Dong]

lol volty.... use my idea...... if a friend is in hospital... and I want to see them......then anybody that tries to stop me, they are in the best place possible surrounded by doctors, nurses and surgeons......

even here in my home town, the visiting hours do not apply to me at the hospital but its known that if I turn up, theres a bloody good reason why so i get waved thru.....

it may have something to down with a couple of times I have done * damage control * in the ER, with drunk and disorderly patients.... including the time that I was having my own arm stitched up cos of a stab wound and I still restored * order * to the treatment room ( 4 treatment stations in the same room )

either way.... a partner is a partner.. there never should be any restrictions.... unless the partner is acting in a manner that poses a risk to other patients and staff ...