Obama orders same-sex hospital visits

Obama orders same-sex hospital visits

www.msnbc.msn.com

Gay, lesbian couples must be allowed visitors, medical power of attorney.

President Obama on Thursday signed a memorandum requiring hospitals to allow gays and lesbians to have non-family visitors and to grant their partners medical power of attorney.

The president ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation. The memo is scheduled to be made public Friday morning, according to an administration official and another source familiar with the White House decision.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Finally.

A little bit of justice.

I don't really care what your feelings are of homosexuality, but this is something that just makes sense.

People who are in a relationship deserve to be able to pass on power of attorney to the ones they love and who know them best.

Regardless if that's same sex or heterosexual.


At least we agree on some things. Won't be able to say Obama never did anything positive in his presidency.

Thoughts?

~Keeper

www.msnbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Mod Edit: Breaking News Forum Submission Guidelines – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 15/4/2010 by Mirthful Me]

Damage control. That's all this is. I'm sure you don't care as it benefits you, personally, but this is nothing more than a bit of damage control to his political reputation.

"Visitation Rights".

They make it sound like they are keeping you in prison or something geez.

Denial of visitation is one of the definitions of imprisonment.

How can this be?

Does "medically caring for someone" give you the right to put them in "custody" and deny visitors?

I'd kind of almost rather die on the street. At least my friends can visit me there....

Good lord, I didn't even know gay people didn't have these rights.
Nice one Obama, another point for you!

I just read this article, and please excuse my ignorance, not having been through anything as heart wrenching as having to deal with a loved one in hospital and being heterosexual, I was shocked to learn that this could even happen. That potentially, if I was homosexual, my loved ones could be refused to visit with me, or I with them. That is shocking.

This is a step of compassion, and love.

Originally posted by sos37
Damage control. That's all this is. I'm sure you don't care as it benefits you, personally, but this is nothing more than a bit of damage control to his political reputation.

If you are going to point out all the bad are you really that negative and hateful of a person to not also give the man a nod when he does good?

Kinda sad.

reply to post by muzzleflash


I've seen it happen. I was in ER with my son one night when a woman was brought in with her partner following. In California, they have registered domestic partnerships that give a lot of the rights a married couple would have such as state taxation, next-of-kin, medical decisions. The security guard would not allow the partner to follow since she wasn't "family" even though she had thought to bring their DP certificate. So one woman is in pain and scared and the other is being held up by some junior guard.

I did mention to him that he may want to call a supervisor before he set the hospital up for a lawsuit.

Originally posted by sos37
Damage control. That's all this is. I'm sure you don't care as it benefits you, personally, but this is nothing more than a bit of damage control to his political reputation.

Is everything good Obama does now going to be blamed on this?

He should have added this to the healthcare reform bill before it was signed, and added a subsection with tax code revisions which would allow the collection of taxes from any gay couple that wants to both access health-care and have free and unimpeded hospital visitations. Premium plans should, for a fee, also allow in-hospital conjugal visits for those who can afford a private room.

Originally posted by worlds_away
I just read this article, and please excuse my ignorance, not having been through anything as heart wrenching as having to deal with a loved one in hospital and being heterosexual, I was shocked to learn that this could even happen. That potentially, if I was homosexual, my loved ones could be refused to visit with me, or I with them. That is shocking.

This is a step of compassion, and love.

It's not ignorance.

Like I said, this should be common logical thinking. People should have NEVER been prevented from seeing people they love and care for in the hospital or all places.

I'm sure many people are in the dark about it. It's for these reasons that equality matters to the gay community.

~Keeper

reply to post by sos37




What-ev.

It could also be called, "seeing what can be done until some better rights are afforded."

I applaud the move, it doesn't mean I applaud the Presidency. I wish others could see the difference.

Good news. Now I'll just wait patiently for some reasonable person to point out how this will destroy the American family.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Have to say, I thought this was already allowed for domestic partnerships...

Huh.

Well, in any case, I think it a fair declaration.

Originally posted by niteboy82
reply to post by sos37

 

What-ev.

It could also be called, "seeing what can be done until some better rights are afforded."

I applaud the move, it doesn't mean I applaud the Presidency. I wish others could see the difference.

I agree, but you can't just throw all the good things under rug when looking at one's overall presidency, or any other leader for that matter.

Perhaps it's just cover, or a "here's what you get now, to shut you up, till later" type of decision. Either way it's going to make a lot of people's lives a whole lot easier and less stressful. In situations where stress should be completely avoided.

~Keeper

Originally posted by whoshotJR

Originally posted by sos37
Damage control. That's all this is. I'm sure you don't care as it benefits you, personally, but this is nothing more than a bit of damage control to his political reputation.

If you are going to point out all the bad are you really that negative and hateful of a person to not also give the man a nod when he does good?

Kinda sad.

Yep I guess I am, then. And I'm damn proud of it!

To me it doesn't matter what good he does - it's the motivation behind the good that he does that counts. We already know that Obama opposes same-sex marriage so I am inclined to be skeptical on this "kind act". Spare me.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower

Originally posted by niteboy82
reply to post by sos37

 

What-ev.

It could also be called, "seeing what can be done until some better rights are afforded."

I applaud the move, it doesn't mean I applaud the Presidency. I wish others could see the difference.

I agree, but you can't just throw all the good things under rug when looking at one's overall presidency, or any other leader for that matter.

Perhaps it's just cover, or a "here's what you get now, to shut you up, till later" type of decision. Either way it's going to make a lot of people's lives a whole lot easier and less stressful. In situations where stress should be completely avoided.

~Keeper

Well of course YOU say that - you've openly admitted to being gay. So what else are you going to say but "hey he might well be throwing kibble at us but I don't care, we're lapdogs and we'll eat it right up so long as it tastes good!!!"

Sorry, but some of us have a bit more dignity than to accept ANY good will from a man that still scowls at us and wants us to fail as a nation.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Perhaps it's just cover, or a "here's what you get now, to shut you up, till later" type of decision. Either way it's going to make a lot of people's lives a whole lot easier and less stressful. In situations where stress should be completely avoided.

~Keeper

It definitely clears up one of the main concerns that I have always been faced with the potential of dealing with.

My full support on this, I am not concerned on the naysaying irrationality of skepticism in regards to a non-existent full-on act of legalizing all thing GBLTQ. Tea-Partiers should even rejoice, he's only making little medical decisions, not pushing an executive order to legalize gay marriage instead of disrespecting state's rights.

Originally posted by sos37
Yep I guess I am, then. And I'm damn proud of it!

To me it doesn't matter what good he does - it's the motivation behind the good that he does that counts.

Oh, thats easy.
His motivation is to completely dismantle and crush the social conservative talking by enacting every opposing philosophy possible and make social conservatives feel like complete and utter fools by arguing against simple human decency.

They cant...because they know they are monsters...so they will just bicker about him personally instead..knowing that their ship is sinking rapidly.

Originally posted by sos37Well of course YOU say that - you've openly admitted to being gay.

[Pepe le Pieu]Oooo la la, ze scandal of being openly admitting to being a member of ze gay![/Pepe le Pieu]

So what else are you going to say but "hey he might well be throwing kibble at us but I don't care, we're lapdogs and we'll eat it right up so long as it tastes good!!!"

I consider comparing kibbles n' bits to freedoms, rights and dignity to be extremely Un-American.

Sorry, but some of us have a bit more dignity than to accept ANY good will from a man that still scowls at us and wants us to fail as a nation.

It takes being dignified to accept goodwill, it takes acrimonious indignation to see everything as a monster in the dark ready to grab them.