Same-sex couples to have full visitation rights
President Obama has signed a memorandum which prohibits discrimination in hospital visitation. The memo, The Washington Post reports, will allow LGBT patients to have non-family visitors. The big kicker, however, is they will also be allowed to grant their partners medical power of attorney.
This right has been one of the main concerns in the debates for same-sex marriage. Up until now, crucial medical decisions could only be made by a family member.
Obama ensures that the new rules are to protect everyone, and not pandering to special interests groups. He states that patients are denied the kindness and care of their loved ones every day.
He goes on the say the the most affected are “gay and lesbian American who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives – unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated.“
(Photo: Associated Press)
