Jackson Memorial Hospital may be ranked among “America’s Best Hospitals,” but it has a spotty track record in dealing with LGBT issues. While a lesbian was dying in the hospital, hospital officials denied her partner visitation rights. The decision drew rebuke from gay rights advocates and others concerned about the hospital’s visitation policy according to San Diego Gay and Lesbian News.

Last September, the court rejected Lambda Legal’s lawsuit filed against Jackson Memorial Hospital on behalf of Janice Langbehn, ruling that no law required the hospital to allow her and their three children to see her partner, Lisa Pond.

Langbehn and the children were kept apart from Pond by hospital staff for eight hours as Pond slipped into a coma and died.

Today, Lambda Legal, its coalition partners, and officials from Jackson Health System (JHS) released a statement announcing the hospital’s improved policies that are more responsive to the needs of the LGBT community. Lamba Legal noted that the new policies still do not provide as much protection as may be needed in critical situations.

This is the same sort of problem Kentucky Equality Federation and Louisville’s Fairness Campaign have been trying to prevent in Kentucky.

This year the Hospital Visitation Bill passed the Kentucky House of Representatives, but Kentucky Senate President David L. Williams declined an appeal from Kentucky Equality Federation to pass the legislation in the Kentucky Senate.

In his letter to Senate President David L. Williams, Palmer stated:

Mr. President, this bill is important to the LGBTI community of the Commonwealth. You have a unique opportunity with this bill to show the LGBTI community that Kentucky’s Republican Party does not consider us second-class citizens as it has appeared in the past.

By passing this bill, the LGBTI community may look more favorably on the Republican Party as a political party capable of working with us, and willing to hear our concerns; as it currently stands, the LGBTI community is so dissatisfied with Republican Leadership in both chambers that there is no longer a Log Cabin Republican Chapter in Kentucky.

Mr. President, I personally urge you, and ask you on behalf of our members to pass House Bill 118. I do not think, nor could I imagine this bill would draw criticism from your more conservative constituents; it would however be a large jester of bipartisan government and possibly send a signal to Kentucky’s LGBTI community that the Kentucky Republican Party will at a minimum listen to our concerns.

As perhaps expected, the letter to Senate President David L. Williams fell on deaf ears.

Dean Byrd, Kentucky Equality Federation’s Board Secretary and Treasurer added:

Debates and disagreements are one of the things that makes our Commonwealth and our Union great; unfortunately, the Republican Party of Kentucky has completely alienated the LGBTI community and will continue to do so until they signal that they will at least hear our voice.

Perhaps that was the very reason for the appeal, to have it rejected, further exposing the Kentucky Republican Party’s bias to gay and lesbian people♦.

Republicans are barely hanging on to the Kentucky Senate, with 20 Republicans, 17 Democrats, and 1 Independent.  Democrats have picked up two additional seats since the 2009 Legislative Session.

“For ten years the Kentucky State Senate has been controlled by a Republican Majority. And for ten years progress in this state has been blocked by this body,” stated Young Democrats of America Vice President Colmon Elridge. “Lead by Senate President David Williams – the ‘Bully from Burkesville’ and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell protege – the Kentucky State Senate has denied Democratic proposals that would create jobs, protect education and assist Kentucky families in these difficult economic times.”

♦ This is an opinion of the Kentucky Political News Editor and other contributors.