Pres.Obama To Give Citizens Medal to Gay Rights Advocate Who Inspired Hospital Visitor Rule Change

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October 12, 2011

President Barack Obama will honor gay rights advocate Janice Langbehn with the Presidential Citizens Medal at an October 20 reception.

“This year's recipients of the Citizens Medal come from different backgrounds, but they share a commitment to a cause greater than themselves,” said Obama in a statement. “They exemplify the best of what it means to be an American, and I am honored to be able to offer them a small token of our appreciation.”

Langbehn's story of being blocked by hospital officials from seeing her dying partner, Lisa Pond, moved the president to sign a directive ordering the Department of Health and Human Services to establish new rules that would prevent hospitals from denying visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians.

Langbehn and three of the couple's four adopted children were banned by Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida from being by Pond's side as she slipped into a coma and died in 2007. Officials dismissed the couple's advanced healthcare directive.

Langbehn challenged the hospital's policy, but a federal court ruled against her in 2009.




read: http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=9771&MediaType=1&Category=26

related:

Obama Admin. Issues New Rules Empowering Hospital Patients To Choose Visitors (Same Sex Partners...)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9578644&mesg_id=9578644

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1. The president’s citation

'While on vacation with her family in February 2007, Janice Langbehn’s partner, Lisa Pond, suddenly fell ill and was rushed to the hospital. Langbehn was refused access to her partner, who had experienced a brain aneurysm and later died alone. With the help of Lambda Legal and GLAAD, she filed a federal lawsuit and worked to get her story out to the nation. Janice's story received attention from President Obama, who personally apologized to her for the way she and her family was treated. He went on to revise hospital visitation rights for gay and lesbian couples, which went into effect this past January for any hospitals receiving federal Medicare or Medicaid funds. Langbehn receives the Citizens Medal for her efforts to ensure all Americans are treated equally.'

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/10/12/1835653/obama-to-honor-lacey-gay-rights.html