Missouri man arrested at hospital for refusing to leave gay partner

Unsurprising.

That's what is so wrong about this. The nurse couldn't even be bothered to verify that fact.

Sounds like another nurse who is letting her personal views interfere with her job.

Fire the sow!

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Since Missouri has an amendment banning gay unions, they were probably pretty screwed anyway.

But they did have a legal civil union, I think.

I mentioned this on Facebook and I STILL have no basis for the argument except abundant cynicism, but isn't it possible that there's more to the story? If they asked him to leave because the relative requested it, they are 100% wrong. Bottom line. What if, however, him refusing to leave his husband's side was escalating the situation? He was admitted to the psychiatric unit, to which he had been admitted multiple times. It's possible the husband was adding to the problem, depending on the diagnosis. The hospital's statement said that though they can't comment on case specifics, they always put patient care first and when a visitor, regardless of relationship, is distracting from care, they must deal with it. If the wife of a straight man was causing him to be anxious, depressed or full of rage, she would be asked to leave his room.

Again, just a possibility. My cynicism has proved wrong before. Maybe I am just too hopeful things are changing.

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Updated On: 4/11/13 at 04:22 PM

I don't really get how this could be a Terry Schiavo-like case. This isn't a man on his death-bed, is it? I read that he's in for psychiatric treatment. Family often can't stay in cases like that. I'm honestly not trying to be argumentative. Maybe there is more to the story than I have read.

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Honestly, there's too much of this story we dont know right now. I dont think it can come down to a simple assessment of right and wrong. There's just too much information missing at this point.

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If the hospital is already trying to apologize, then it's kind of obvious they are in the wrong, and know it.

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On Joe My God it says he was asked to leave because his partner's family asked him to leave.

I just read a blanket statement about putting patient health first. It didn't sound like an apology or admission of guilt. I am sure they have been bombarded with calls about this. There are Change.org petitions demanding an apology. The story has been picked up everywhere, with very little to go on.

The nurse may have been a raging homophobe, but she may have just been doing what the patient needed, without regard to the gender of those involved. It's a big MAY, but without more actual facts, there's no way to know. He never said the hospital asked him to leave. The article just stated that he became disruptive when the family member asked him to go. Because of his reaction, security had to be called. The family member had no right to do that, but if his behavior was interfering with his husband's well-being, that would have been the main problem. Again, this is a psychiatric case and the behavior of those around the patient is critical.

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The hospital released another statement:

“Research Medical Center was one of the first hospitals in Kansas City to offer domestic partner benefits, which have been in place since 2005, and we have had a policy specifically acknowledging domestic partners’ visitation rights in place for years.
This was an issue of disruptive and belligerent behavior by the visitor that affected patient care. The hospital’s response followed the same policies that would apply to any individual engaged in this behavior in a patient care setting and was not in any way related to the patient’s or the visitor’s sexual orientation or marital status. This visitor created a barrier for us to care for the patient. Attempts were made to deescalate the situation. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to involve security and the Kansas City MO Police Department.”

They asked ALL visitors to leave his husband's room after the initial incident and Gorley refused to leave, at least according to the hospital.

I just read that he has been given the OK to return to the hospital.

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Updated On: 4/11/13 at 05:18 PM

But it's trickier than that, Taz. Missouri doesnt recognize civil unions from other states, so as far as the hospital was concerned, he was a devoted friend and not much more. The family, on the other hand, was blood, and that would take legal precedence, even with a POA.

It sucks, but until the US puts on its big boy pants and just deals with the national issue of gay marriage, you're going to see more and more of this kind of bullcrap.

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But Sean raises an interesting point.

What should the procedure be if MO didn't recognize partnerships but MO hospitals receive federal funding for Medicare/Medicaid?

Does the state law override the federal?

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