California Takes Another Step in Health Care Equality
August 18, 2008 by Becky Ramsey
Filed under Business
I received an e-mail today from Lambda Legal announcing that the California Supreme Court ruled today that doctor’s cannot deny treatment to patients based on their religious views about gays and lesbians. The ruling is the result of a lawsuit brought by Guadalupe Benitez, a California woman, in 2001 who says that, after 11 months of preparatory treatments, doctors at a women’s medical group denied her a certain type of artificial insemination because their religious beliefs would not allow them to inseminate a lesbian.
Benitez says, “Anyone could be the next target if doctors are allowed to pick and choose their patients based on religious views about other groups of people.” One of her lawyers, Jennifer Pizer, says, “Discrimination has no place in the doctor’s office.” What are your thoughts?
Sources:
“California Victory for Health Care Equality” – Lambda Legal
“State court says medical decisions, religion shouldn’t mix” – signonsandiego.com, August 18, 2008
