[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/thanks-mr-president\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/thanks-mr-president\/","headline":"Thanks, Mr. President","name":"Thanks, Mr. President","description":"By Katherine Dean With his pledge to repeal Don\u2019t Ask Don\u2019t tell behind him, President Obama continues his steady, albeit slow, fight for same-sex equality....","datePublished":"2010-04-16","dateModified":"2021-06-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":787,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/thanks-mr-president\/","about":["Marriage Equality News"],"wordCount":203,"articleBody":" By Katherine DeanWith his pledge to repeal  Don\u2019t Ask Don\u2019t tell behind him, President Obama continues his steady,  albeit slow, fight for same-sex equality. Yesterday, the president  issued a memo to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius  ordering all hospitals that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding to  grant visitation rights to gay and lesbian partners. Further, Obama\u2019s  order ensures that patients\u2019 designation of health care proxies and  power of attorney will be honored regardless of sexual orientation. And  in a hugely classy move, Obama called Janice Langbehn,  from Air Force One immediately after issuing the memo. In February  2007, Langbehn\u2019s partner of 17 years, Lisa Pond, was admitted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Florida after collapsing from an  aneurysm. Langbehn and the couple\u2019s adopted children were barred from  visiting Pond, who slipped into a coma and died. In September 2009,  Langbehn\u2019s lawsuit against Jackson Memorial was rejected in federal  court. The president explained to Langbehn that he was moved by her  story and personally apologized for how she and her family have been  treated.\u00a0Thanks, Mr. President.  Next step: repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Give gay, lesbian,  bisexual and transgender Americans the same rights as heterosexuals."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Thanks, Mr. President","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/thanks-mr-president\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]