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.

"It is reprehensible that anyone would be subjected to religiously-motivated bias when trying to care for their health," said Melissa Pope, Director of Victim Services for Triangle Foundation. "The fear of receiving this kind of discrimination and harassment from medical professionals keeps members of the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender community from receiving the comprehensive and compassionate medical attention that every human being deserves."

Spectrum released a statement that the matter is being investigated stating, "We have begun a thorough investigation of this matter. We will review all aspects of this issue. Once this is complete, we will take appropriate action." Triangle Foundation is calling for disciplinary action and an apology from the doctor and/or Spectrum Hospital.

Spectrum's anti-discrimination policy states:
"Spectrum Health has a zero tolerance policy regarding harassment for any discriminatory reason, such as sex, pregnancy, race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, height, weight or any other protected category. Such harassment is strictly prohibited ... Intent or lack of intent to harass is not the determining factor in deciding whether this policy has been violated. Appropriate corrective action will be taken against any individual who violates this policy." The City of Grand Rapids also has a non-discrimination ordinance that may prohibit this form of discrimination.

For the past seventeen years, Triangle Foundation has been serving members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities who have been victims of hate violence, discrimination, harrassment, and/or vandalism. For more information on our work, visit http://www.tri.org.