ACLU: Hospital discriminated against gay couple

FRESNO, Calif. - Civil rights groups are urging a hospital in central California to change its policies after employees briefly barred a lesbian from visiting her partner, who went into seizure at a gay marriage march.

Kristin Orbin collapsed May 30 after walking 14 miles in the protest march. She was taken to Fresno's Community Regional Medical Center, where she says an ambulance driver kept her partner from seeing her in the emergency room.

Teresa Rowe says hospital employees also ignored her requests to talk to a doctor about Orbin's care.

Lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Lesbian Rights on Monday urged the hospital to change its policies.

The nonprofit system that runs the hospital says Orbin received good care and the hospital followed proper procedures.