What is at Stake in the Gay Marriage Controversy

Two women are suing hospitals in separate lawsuits because they were denied access to their dying partners.  One of them was told by a Florida social worker that she was in an antigay city in an antigay state.  That same hospital denied the dying woman's children permission to visit their mother until the very end.

Michael and I discuss this issue from time to time.  Neither of us is very close to our families and would not want them making decisions about our welfare if either of us became ill.  We both worry about access if one of us should ever be hospitalized.

Not only is this a matter for gay couples, but it's also for senior couples who decide not to marry, for other unmarried heterosexual couples, and for single people who are estranged from their families and would prefer to trust longtime friends.