Connecticut
lesbian couple files first joint malpractice suit

A lesbian couple in Connecticut has filed a medical malpractice suit together, becoming a legal first in that state. The couple is suing two doctors, alleging they treated Margaret Mueller for ovarian cancer when she actually had cancer of the appendix. The suit claims that Mueller underwent years of devastating and unnecessary chemotherapy treatment that harmed her sexual relationship with her partner, Charlotte Stacey.

Heterosexual couples in Connecticut can sue for harm to their sex life, known as "loss of consortium." Attorneys for Mueller and Stacey say their case is the first of its kind under Connecticut's civil union laws, which give same-sex partners the same legal rights as married couples. Lawyers for at least one of the doctors involved say they will not challenge Stacey's right to be added to the lawsuit. (Sirius OutQ News)