Lesbian Settles With Clinic over Fertility Treatments

A woman who was denied fertility treatments because of her sexual orientation reached a settlement with her former physicians on Tuesday.

In a joint statement following eight years of litigation, Guadalupe "Lupita" Benitez and her former doctors at the North Coast Women's Care Medical Group said they reached a settlement for an undisclosed sum of money, according to Lambda Legal.

According to the organization, Benitez was referred for infertility care to North Coast Women's Care Medical Group, which had an exclusive contract with her insurance plan. After 11 months of preparatory treatments, including medication and unnecessary surgery, her doctors finally admitted they would not perform donor insemination for her because she is a lesbian.

The doctors claimed they were adhering to the organization's Christian views, allowing them the right to opt out of California's civil rights law. Benitez sued, and the case made its way to the California supreme court, which ruled last year that Benitez was entitled to be treated like other patients with her same health problem, and that constitutional protections for religious liberty do not excuse unlawful discrimination.