Thursday, July 5, 2012

Discrimination in Virginia

It's been very hot here in Virginia as it has been in many other parts of the country. We're trying to cool down pretty much any way we can. However, when a man tried to sign himself, his partner, and their two year-old for an athletic club membership, they were initially approved but later rejected for the unfortunately obvious (i.e. homophobic) reason. When I heard about this, I was particularly jarred because of the proximity (I grew up about an hour away and now live about 30 minutes away from where this happened).

The good news is that The Advocate has issued the following update:
The Carilion Clinic has changed its membership policies, and will now allow families of same-sex couples to join two of their athletic clubs under the family membership guidelines.

"Since opening our doors over three decades ago, we have always strived to provide the very best in service, programs, and staffing," Bud Grey, the vice president of corporate communications announced on Carilion Clinic's Facebook page Thursday. "Our goal has been, and always will be to encourage and inspire health and wellness among all members of the communities we serve."

The company will now offer household memberships, which will consist of "a primary member and up to one additional household member that permanently lives in the same house, and any of their dependent children under age 22, who also reside in the household on a permanent basis."
No matter how far we have come, even here in America, we are often reminded of how far we have yet to go. Luckily, this story has a happy ending.

Keep fighting the good fight folks.

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