Congress Introduces Bill to Give Same-Sex Binational Couples Same Rights as Heterosexuals

Out4Immigration just put out a press release on the UAFA... here it is... for more information about O4I, please go to http://www.out4immigration.org

Congress Introduces Bill to Give Same-Sex Binational Couples Same Rights as Heterosexuals
Out4Immigration Applauds Nadler-Leahy Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA —May 9, 2007— In a major step to end immigration discrimination against gay and lesbian couples and their families, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) on Tuesday. This legislation would allow Americans in same-sex binational relationships to sponsor their “permanent partners” for legal residency in the United States, a right currently afforded only to opposite-sex couples under immigration law.

“It is about time the US joined nearly 20 other countries in providing protection for the most basic human rights for its citizens—the ability to live in your own country, with the person you love,” said Michael Lim, Vice President of Out4Immigration (www.out4immigration.org), a grassroots organization that advocates for an end to discrimination in US immigration policy. “Gays and lesbians should have the same immigration rights afforded heterosexuals.”

Lim, an American citizen and veteran, has first-hand experience with immigration discrimination. For 12 years, he has been in a same-sex binational relationship with his partner, who is from an Asian country. The couple was forced to live separately for part of their relationship, each in their respective country, because the US does not recognize them as “spouses”. This made them ineligible to apply for a green card under family unification provisions.

“Congressman Nadler and Senator Leahy recognize that the promotion of family unity has long been part of federal immigration policy,” said Lim, who emphasizes that regardless of state laws providing gays and lesbians with civil union and domestic partnership protections, or marriage, as is the case in Massachusetts, immigration is a federal issue. “A lesbian or gay American in love with a person from another country has no rights to protect that relationship federally. At the federal level, you are what are known as ‘legal strangers’. The US government simply does not recognize you as a couple.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Senator Leahy echoed this sentiment when he said, “Our immigration laws treat gays and lesbians in committed relationships as second-class citizens.”

Congressman Nadler added that the UAFA “is a matter of basic fairness and compassion. We simply ask that gay and lesbian Americans in loving, committed relationships receive the same treatment as everyone else.”

The UAFA calls for adding the words “or permanent partner” to current US immigration law wherever the word “spouse” appears. This small but significant change could help an estimated 36,000 same-sex binational couples end an often tenuous existence in the US and begin to live their lives here freely, equally and legally. “I know many couples who have been forced to leave the US—or live apart like my partner and I once did,” said Lim. “The UAFA would not only help American citizens and their partners who are already living in the US, it would also help bring many of them home.”

UAFA Reintroduced

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today introduced the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).
I am so glad that they came Out 4 Immigration and for equality again. I just hope the rest of congress will come out for equality too and pass this law.

For more information about this bill, check out Out4Immigration's website.

Click here to send your representative a letter urging them to support the bill.

Are we safe at home?

Tornados touchdown at Greenburg, Kansas and destroyed the whole town.... however the National Guards and their equipments are not in town to help out.... their equipments are in Iraq.... hmm... so how are we safe if we cannot protect our own citizens? Read the articles from NY Times.

TRAVIS

I attended TRAVIS' concert at the Fillmore in San Francisco yesterday. They probably performed in San Francisco because they were performing in Coachella and decided to swing through San Francisco. Since coming to San Francisco, I have attended 3 of their concerts, 2 in the Warfield and 1 in Fillmore yesterday - they are still a real fun and tight group and really friendly to their fans. They of course sang a few songs from their new album, The Boy with No Name including their first single, CLOSER, Battleship, Selfish Jean and Big Chair and some old hits.

They have also been socially conscious and politically aware and sometimes that consciousness seeped into their songs, like for example, Peace the F*** out and the song SIDE which I love. Especially in this time where the political climate is so poisoned that nobody is willing to sit down and talk about real issues, but all we are looking for is partisanship... it is sad. As the lyrics goes,
We all live under the same sky,
We all will live,
we all will die,
there is no wrong,
there is no right,
the circle only has one side.

I am not sure if they are coming again, touring officially to promote the new album.... but if they do, I will be lining up to get a pair of tickets again.... they are that good.

an op-ed I wrote

On April 21st, the day that my partner and I celebrated our 12th anniversary, Governor Christine Gregoire signed legislation giving legal rights to domestic partners in the state of Washington. Then a week later, the legislature of New Hampshire passed a civil union bill and Governor John Lynch promised to sign it into law.

The happy occasion and the good news was cause for us to remember the difficult struggle we (and many other same-sex binational couples) had to go through to stay/enter the US and stay together. Mickey is a US citizen and I am from Singapore, but because we are gay, Mickey had no right to sponsor me for a green card. For the better part of two years, we lived on different continents. After 10 years of battling the US immigration system for me to stay here legally with Mickey, I was fortunate enough to find an employer to sponsor me. Six months ago, I received approval from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a green card. I use the word “fortunate” in this sense because Mickey and I are but a small percentage of thousands of same-sex binational couples who have been able to put an end to a multi-year struggle to legally stay together in this country.

Many others have not been as lucky and have been forced to leave the country to live in exile, leaving behind their families, friends, and professions. Their love is so strong that everything and everyone else in their lives have been abandoned for a life in another country that would accept them as a loving couple.

In the course of our struggles, Mickey and I became involved with Out4Immigration (www.out4immigration.org), a grassroots organization that advocates for a change in US immigration policy to allow same-sex binational couples the same immigration rights heterosexuals can obtain through marriage. We've met many couples in similar situations. Manny and Gerald (not their real names) will celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. Gerald has numerous bachelor degrees and a Ph.D., so his application for a special skills green card was a sure thing; however, during the final stage of the process, it was discovered that Gerald was HIV- positive. If Manny and Gerald were a straight married couple, Manny could immediately apply for an HIV waiver for Gerald based on family reunification and get him a green card. This is a right available to straight couples but denied to gay couples.

Another couple, Jim and Jess, has been forced to live in exile in China because Jess's visa option ran out. Jim worked for a fortune 500 Company in Silicon Valley, and he was able to secure a reassignment to China so that he could keep his family together. Isn't it ironic that gay couples are forced to leave America for China? How does that make sense?

While California, like Washington, offers its gay and lesbian residents domestic partnership, Massachusetts has gay marriage, and New Hampshire has just joined Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey in recognizing civil unions, these are state laws that are not recognized at the federal level. Immigration is a federal issue. And because of that none of this progress in relationship protection rights can help same-sex binational couples like Manny and Gerald, or Jim and Jess stay together legally in the US. The only way a gay or lesbian person in a relationship with a US citizen can obtain a green card is through their employer—or asylum (a long and difficult process, in which the person must prove they will be persecuted or otherwise harmed if they were forced to return to their native country).

According to a report released by Human Rights Watch titled “Family Unvalued”, there are about 36,000 same-sex binational couples living in the US today. Some of these couples, like Mickey and I, may be pursuing a green card through their work. And we hope they are successful. Many others are looking at options to leave the US, for the American to live in exile, but to live in a country that recognizes them as a couple and family. We believe, however, that the 36,000 same-sex binational couples who were willing to stand up and be counted are just the beginning of the story. We believe many more have made choices to stay here without the proper visa in order to stay with the person they love, no matter what the risks or cost.

As we celebrate the hard won advances toward FULL equality, it is important to remember that there are 1,138 benefits that are afforded heterosexual married couples at the federal level that are still denied to gay and lesbian couples. Only the federal government can grant the benefits of marriage when it comes to federal taxes, immigration, or waivers to the HIV entry ban. As the Massachusetts Supreme Court said, “We learned a long time ago in this country that separate but equal is inherently unequal.” It is an important distinction to remember: In the eyes of the federal government, gay and lesbian couples, whether binational or US citizens, are legal strangers.

Out4Immigration, http://www.out4immigration.org, addresses the widespread discriminatory impact of U.S. immigration laws on the lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV+ people and their families through education, outreach, advocacy and the maintenance of a resource and support network.

5/4/07 - Washington Blade just published my op-ed. YIPEE.... http://washblade.com/2007/5-4/view/editorial/10515.cfm

5/4/07 - Wow, A friend just called and told me that the BAR (http://www.ebar.com) picked it up too.