Obama Honors Gay Rights Advocate Janice Langbehn With Citizens Medal

[babylonsister]

http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=9852&MediaType=1&Category=25

Obama Honors Gay Rights Advocate Janice Langbehn With Citizens Medal
By Carlos Santoscoy
Published: October 20, 2011


President Barack Obama on Thursday honored gay rights advocate Janice Langbehn with the Presidential Citizens Medal at a reception at the White House.



Langbehn was among the 13 recipients this year to receive the nation's second-highest civilian honor.

“Janice Langbehn transformed her own profound loss into a resounding call for compassion and equality. When the woman she loved, Lisa Pond, suddenly suffered a brain aneurism, Janice and her children were denied the right to stand beside her in her final moments. Determined to spare others from similar injustice, Janice spoke out to help ensure that same-sex couples can support and comfort each other through some of life's toughest trials. The United States honors Janice Langbehn for advancing America's promise for equality for all,” a military officer read in introducing Langbehn.

Langbehn's story of being blocked by hospital officials from seeing her dying partner moved the president to sign a directive ordering the Department of Health and Human Services to establish new rules that would prevent hospitals from denying visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians.

Langbehn and three of the couple's four adopted children were banned by Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida from being by Pond's side as she slipped into a coma and died in 2007. Officials dismissed the couple's advanced healthcare directive. Langbehn challenged the hospital's policy, but a federal court ruled against her in 2009.

[Name removed]

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[Tarheel_Dem]

2. K & R

[Name removed]

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[babylonsister]

4. He's also just a man who knows, recognizes, and has empathy for

situations that are so unjust. He's in a situation where he can do something about it, and he did. :thumbsup:

[ClarkUSA]

10. Yes. He. Is. His recent foreign policy moves are all about that, too.

[Name removed]

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[jenmito]

6. K&R! Here's video of the whole ceremony:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/10/20/president-obama-presents-2011-presidential-citizens-medals#transcript

[ruggerson]

7. thanks jenmito

n/t

[jenmito]

9. My pleasure, ruggerson!

:hi:

[Tx4obama]

13. Thank you for posting the video link. n/t

[Name removed]

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[Number23]

11. Thread says 22 posts and only five lived to see the light of day

Really unbelievable.

[ClarkUSA]

12. Pres. Obama is the most pro-LGBT civil rights mover and shaker in U.S. presidential history.

I am VERY proud of him. I hope Janice has found some measure of peace.

I can't wait to see when DOMA is repealed under President Obama's watch.

FYI, I am saving this prediction onto my desktop.

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. Agreed!

:kick:

[SkyDaddy7]

15. What is really SAD...

Of course what the LGBT community continues to go through in terms of discrimination in this country...

But in terms of DU is the fact this is not on the Greatest thread page & only has 24recs.

There really is no difference between the Republicans & the Obama HATERS here on DU when it comes to giving Obama the credit he deserves for all that he has done for the LGBT Community as well as other Liberal issues.

I know Obama would sign the bill today repealing DOMA if only he had a Congress to help. If that happen he would still not get any credit from the HATERS!

[MNBrewer]

16. That's such a pathetically low standard that your comment is laughable

By your own standards, GW Bush was the 3rd most pro-GLBT civil rights mover and shaker in U.S. Presidential history. Should we be happy about HIS presidency, too?

[great white snark]

17. Right, like you'd be defending standards if he was the worst.

The statement is true despite your objection.

[MNBrewer]

18. Best of a bad bunch, in reality.