Legal Case Questions Right of Out-of-State Civil Union
by Amanda Luker (bio)


A New York appeals court is considering whether to recognize the gay civil union of a Long Island man who wishes to sue a Manhattan hospital for malpractice in the death of his partner. A Long Island judge's previous ruling stated that John Langan could sue St. Vincent's Hospital in the death of Neal Conrad Spicehandler who was hit by a car in Manhattan. The hospital appealed, questioning whether the couple's 2000 civil union in Vermont gave Langan the legal right to sue for malpractice in New York.

Some gay rights advocates say this ruling could set a precedent for legal recognition of same-sex marriages preformed in certain states and other countries like Canada or Belgium.