Janice Langbehn. In 2007, Langbehn’s partner of 18 years, Lisa Pond, collapsed while the couple and their three children were on vacation in Florida. After being taken to Jackson Memorial hospital in Miami, hospital staff kept Langbehn and the children in the waiting room for eight and a half hours as Pond slowly died of an aneurysm. The children were finally allowed to say goodbye to their mother long after she lost consciousness, and shortly before she was declared brain dead. Inspired by their tragic story, on April 15 President Obama instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to draft a rule ensuring hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples. According to the United States Government Accountability Office, there are 1,138 marital benefits, rights, and privileges not afforded to same sex couples—or at least there were. After Obama’s memorandum, there are now 1,137. Good move, right?Most gay rights groups applauded the announcement. But while it may have been a small step for gaykind, it is also, ironically, a giant leap forward for conservative anti-marriage politicians and pundits.Because while Langbehn and Pond’s horrific story brings tears to everyone’s eyes, it has also brought shivers of fear down the spines of anti-marriage equality politicians. Denying dying people the presence of their loved ones doesn’t play well at even the most rabid Tea Party. With same sex marriage equality on the front line across America, denial of hospital visitation has always been our back-pocket nuclear bomb to drop into the debate.
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