A hospital in Nevada refused to accept
a lesbian couple's domestic partnership, arguing that the women would
need to secure power of attorney before making any medical decisions
for each other.
When Brittney Leon, 26, checked into
Spring Valley Hospital in Las Vegas on July 20 due to complications
in her pregnancy, her partner Terri-Ann Simonelli, 41, was told she
could not make any necessary medical decisions without the additional
paperwork, despite the fact that the women are in a domestic
partnership.
In 2009, Nevada approved the law which
gives gay couples all the rights and responsibilities of marriage
with the exception that employers are not required to provide health
care benefits to family members of a gay worker.
“I am usually a big fighter,”
Simonelli told the paper. “But I was so emotionally upset. It was
a very bad day for us. We went there thinking we had the state's
backing, and then we were told we were wrong. It didn't matter that
we were registered domestic partners.”
Leon lost her baby and Simonelli said
there were long periods of time when she was not informed of her
spouse's condition.
“We understand there are people out
there who are not going to welcome us with open arms,” Simonelli
said. “That's fine, but when it comes to a business, like a
hospital, treat us fairly. When you step into a hospital, you are in
a very vulnerable state.”
Spring Valley Hospital had no problem
accepting Leon's insurance, which is provided through Simonelli's
job.