Doctors Cannot Deny Treatment to Homosexuals

[Athena]

In the last few years, there have been a couple of cases like this in the news, attempting to answer this question: What CAN doctor's refuse to provide based on religious beliefs?

It's not an easy question to answer. I, myself, struggle to come to a solid opinion regarding the matter. Generally speaking, I believe that a doctor should be able to refuse to provide any service that conflicts with his or her religious beliefs. If a doctor refuses, the patient can simply switch doctors, as I did with my last doctor. This question had come up regarding Plan B, the "abortion pill". I've never required Plan B, but was curious as to where my doctor stood. I called the office and asked if they prescribed said pill, and the gal curtly responded, "We don't do that here," before hanging up on me. Well, that's all I needed to know. I've recently found myself a bright, young doctor with views similar to my own, and I'm smitten. Had my old doctor not been able to refuse, I may have never made the much needed switch.

Of course, that's all easy for me to say. I've never required services that can be denied. Take this couple, for example. A lesbian couple, the two women were interested in artificial insemination. The clinic that enjoyed an exclusive contract with the Guadalupe Benitez's insurance dropped her as a patient, citing religious beliefs. Benitez couldn't simply switch clinics, given the nature of the contract this clinic had with her insurance, so she sued, and, according to the California Supreme Court, she was right.

Doctors can't discriminate against gays based on religious belief. In this case, I agree. Doctors who refuse to perform abortions or prescribe birth control aren't discriminating. They're saying, "These are the services my office will not provide." The doctors in the above case were saying, "Oh, we'll perform this service, just not to certain types of people." Not okay.