We just can't spend our travel dollars in a state where couples without a federally recognized marriage license are treated like sub-humans.
Our reasons for boycotting Florida should be of particular interest to European swappers, who are quite likely to be members of unmarried partnerships, as well as all gay or lesbian travelers.
Recently, a family was in Miami, about to depart on a cruise, when one of the two moms, Lisa Pond, suffered a brain aneurism while watching their three children play basketball on board the ship.
Lisa remained conscious, but could not speak. Her partner of 17 years, Janice Langbehn, rushed her to Jackson Memorial Hospital. That was a mistake.
Despite the fact that Janice had forms naming her as Lisa's health care proxy, empowered to make medical decisions for Lisa, and cruelly ignoring the women's 2 decades of domestic partnership, Janice was not allowed to see Lisa as she slipped into unconsciousness and died.
Here is a summary of the facts from Lambda, the law firm that is suing on behalf of the family:
"From the moment Langbehn and the children arrived at Jackson Memorial Hospital, they encountered prejudice and apathy.
The hospital refused to accept information from Langbehn regarding Pond's medical history, informing her that she was in an antigay city and state and that she could expect to receive no information or acknowledgment as family.
A doctor finally spoke with Langbehn, telling her that there was no chance of recovery.
Despite the doctor's acknowledgment that no medical reason existed to prevent visitation, neither Langbehn nor her children were allowed to see Pond until nearly eight hours after their arrival.
Soon after Pond's death, Langbehn attempted to obtain her death certificate in order to get life insurance and Social Security benefits for her children. She was denied both by the state of Florida and the Dade County Medical Examiner."
Here in the US we are about to pick a new president. The candidate elected will have an impact on home exchange.
The republican running for president has said that gay couples don't deserve or need to wed. Instead, he suggests they should just execute dozens of legal documents to approximate a few of the over 1,000 federal marriage rights.
As we can see from the experience of Lisa Pond's family, that is no guaranty that a family will be afforded the barest humane treatment in a medical emergency. So far, no elected official in Miami or Florida has made any attempt to address the cruel and illegal treatment suffered by Lisa Pond's survivors.
The hate-filled attitude shown by Floridians -- in Miami, of all places -- is reason enough for unmarried, or simply compassionate home exchangers to boycott Florida. We certainly will.
If you would like to call Jackson Memorial Hospital, Mayor Manuel Diaz or Gov. Charlie Crist:
Patient Relations at 305-585-7341.
Mayor Manuel Diaz 305-250-5300
Gov. Charlie Crist 850-488-7146
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