Together in Life, Apart in Illness
Brett Conrad and Patrick Atkins, both 47, met in college and were together for 25 years. Atkins was CEO of his family’s company, Atkins Elegant Desserts; Conrad, a waiter. They shared a house and bank accounts; both men’s names were on their home’s deed. In March 2005, traveling on business, Atkins suffered an aneurysm and then a stroke that rendered him unable to care for himself.
Atkins’ deeply religious parents took over, refusing to recognize the men’s relationship or even to let Conrad see him. Conrad has spent two years trying to win guardianship of his partner.
Because homosexuals have no rights in this great country of ours, Patrick’s parents have successfully come in and taken away nearly everything that is rightfully Brett’s.
“Given the Atkinses’ lack of support of their son’s personal life through the years and given his mother’s astonishing statement that she would rather that he never recover than see him return to his relationship with Brett, we are extraordinarily skeptical that the Atkinses are able to take care of Patrick’s emotional needs,” wrote Chief Judge John G. Baker in the appellate court’s ruling.
Yet the court still ruled the Atkinses have the right as guardians to dispose of his and Conrad’s house, even though it is owned jointly. A lower court gave Conrad one third of the pair’s checking account, but gave the parents most of the other assets, which were in Patrick’s name.
Can you believe this?? Both names are on the deed to the house, yet Patrick’s parents can take it away from Brett. Both names were on the checking account, yet Brett on got ONE THIRD of it. ONE THIRD!!!
After 25 years of being together in a committed relationship, they have been ripped apart by Patrick’s parents. His mother has even gone so far as to make a statement that she would rather Patrick NEVER recover from his stroke than go back to his relationship with Brett! What kind of mother could possibly even think something as hateful and disgusting as that?
The sad thing is, this can happen to any of us simply because we have no rights in this country… only because we happen to love someone of the same sex.
You can read the entire article on Planet Out.
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