Yay for gays in North Carolina!:

A new statewide rule will help ensure that same-sex partners and other loved ones will be treated the same as immediate family.

The rule adds a provision to the Patients' Bill of Rights, stating: "A patient has the right to designate visitors who shall receive the same visitation privileges as the patient’s immediate family members, regardless of whether the visitors are legally related to the patient." The right applies to hospitals statewide.

I've heard awful stories from several people about being in the hospital and their loved ones one being allowed inside the room. This change is fantastic because it doesn't limit the potential visitors to just lovers, but anyone that patient chooses. That's essential! We can imagine a very sad story of someone not being allowed to see their partner. But I think it's just as sad to imagine someone not being allowed to see their best friends.

Kudos to Ian Palmquist and others at EqualityNC for their work on this! Makes me a little bit homesick!