Triangle Foundation Applauds Spectrum Health Apology

Colette Beighley — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:11:43 EDT

Grand Rapids - Triangle Foundation applauds Spectrum Health's response to the anti-gay discrimination Ashleigh Haberman and Erica Schaub received last month at Spectrum's South Pavilion Urgent Care facility.

In a letter to the couple, Spectrum Health has issued an apology and an assurance that the behavior of the offending doctor "has been addressed and that appropriate actions have been taken." "We were glad to hear Spectrum Health has taken this incident seriously. Our goal has always been to raise awareness within the healthcare system so that another couple will not have to experience what Ashleigh and I went through," states Erica Schaub.

In meetings both with Triangle Foundation as well as with the City of Grand Rapids Community Relations Commission, Spectrum Health has reiterated its commitment to serving the needs of ALL families in our diverse Grand Rapids community and to specifically serving the needs of our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities. Triangle Foundation remains available to partner with Spectrum Health by providing professional training to the staff and physicians. A medical staff informed about these issues helps fulfill Spectrum's continued commitment to patient dignity.

Triangle Responds to Anti-Gay Discrimination at Spectrum Hospital

Colette Beighley — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:04:18 EDT

From the blog: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Gay

Instead of compassionate medical treatment, Ashleigh Haberman and Erica Schaub received a "lifestyle" lecture from a Spectrum Hospital physician.

The couple went to Spectrum Health South Pavilion Urgent Care Center in Grand Rapids for treatment of Schaub's lingering cold. According to a WOOD TV 8 report, the physician responded in an inappropriate manner asking who Haberman was to Schaub. Ashleigh Haberman and Erica Schaub have made a life-long commitment to each other and were married in Canada. When Schaub explained Haberman was her life partner, the lecture began.

The physician asked for the couple's opinion on the recent California Supreme Court marriage decision and "he proceeded to give his opinion on how he felt that marriage, gay marriage, shouldn't be called a marriage because it's a religious-based word, and he's a Christian, and there's no way that marriage could be considered legal in the gay sense," said Haberman.