CHECK YOURSELF

TN Fiasco Begs Question: How Many Hospitals Still Forbid LGBT Visitation Rights?

Even though The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently told all U.S. hospitals receiving tax aid to allow same-sex visitors to see patients, the Tennessean reports that the Rolling Hills Hospital in Franklin, Tennessee still forbade Val Burke from seeing her partner in the residential psychiatric unit; which got us wondering—would your local hospital do the same?

Rolling Hills Chief Executive Officer Richard Bangert called Burke’s case “human error”—which is a familiar excuse for anti-LGBT behavior—and met with his staff to make sure everyone knows not to discriminate against ‘mos. He will also issue a personal apology to Burke, adding, “I take it very personally. This is not representative of the hospital.”

But in the meanwhile, the Human Rights Campaign still urges LGBTs to carry around health-care directives and visitation authorization forms all at times in case of any medical emergency, because this sort of thing is bound to happen again.

Also make sure to wear clean underpants, lest you embarrass your mother.

Image via José Goulão

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