Langbehn is being recognized for her effort to win visitation rights for gay and lesbian couples. A Florida hospital had barred her and four adopted children from seeing her partner, Lisa Pond, in 2007 – until after Pond died alone from a brain aneurysm.
She sued, and more recently Obama issued an executive order to keep something similar from happening again in any hospital that receives federal funds.
“It’s really hard to put into words. While I am being recognized for standing up for what I believe in, and for the harm done to my partner and our children, I would trade this medal and any accolades to have Lisa with me still,” said Langbehn, 43.
The Citizens Medal has been given annually since 1969 to people who make various community contributions, such as helping the needy, the disabled and Vietnam veterans.
Langbehn is set to receive the award Oct. 20 at a White House ceremony and said she still hopes Obama and all 50 states can embrace full marital rights for same-sex couples, including Social Security benefits for survivors.
Langbehn said she and Pond served as foster parents for 25 children and that they adopted four special-needs children, who now range in age from 14 to 21.
Several gay-rights activists said the award is another step in a long fight.
“This shows how far we’ve come since Stonewall (riots) in 1969 and the days when all GLBT people were denied our humanity,” longtime Olympia rights activist Anna Schlecht said in a text message.
“This kind of discrimination was exactly why we fought so hard to keep our state’s domestic partnership law from being repealed by Referendum 71,” said Anne Levinson, chairwoman of Washington Families Standing Together, which backed passage of R-71 in 2009.
Passage of R-71 upheld legislation that granted all state rights of marriage to same-sex couples registered as domestic partners here.
Langbehn receives the medal shortly after gays were given the right this year to serve openly in the military and as gay lawmakers in Washington are considering when to push for a same-sex-marriage law.
Gary Randall of the Faith & Freedom Network, who helped lead the campaign to repeal R-71’s provisions, commented in an email: “I think people should be able to visit and help those whom they love in any crises. That is a Christian principle. However redefining natural marriage, a corner stone in every civilization for the past 5000 years, is not the proper way to address that and similar needs.”
Asked how she would celebrate the medal, Langbehn said it will be enough to take her eldest sister, Marilyn, on the expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
Otherwise, she was having a busy day at home – giving interviews to a television station and newspaper reporters while one of her daughters tried to find a homecoming dress, another was too sick for the swim team, and a son had obligations at school.
As she said, life goes on.
Brad Shannon: 360-753-1688
bshannon@theolympian.com
www.theolympian.com/politicsblog
