Mickey and Out4Immigration was quoted in an article by the Bay Area Reporter today.
You can read the full article here. I am just excerpting a few paragraph which included the quote from Out4Immigration and Mickey.
Immigration bill re-introduced in Congress
by Lisa Keen
Representative Jerrold Nadler re-introduced UAFA last week.
Saying that now there's a president in the White House who is not a "guaranteed veto" for the legislation, Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-New York) last week re-introduced a bill seeking to enable gay Americans to sponsor their foreign same-sex partners for legal residency in the United States.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) re-introduced the companion bill in the Senate.
Speaking to reporters on a telephone conference call Thursday, February 12, Nadler said it would be hard to say what the "odds" are for the bill – the Uniting American Families Act – to pass.
[read more...]
Out4Immigration, another LGBT advocacy group, expressed its hope that the bill will get a hearing. It noted this was the sixth time the legislation has been introduced.
"Today marks a fresh beginning for change toward the discrimination faced by same-sex binational couples," said Mickey Lim, vice president of the organization.
[read more...]
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
TV coverage on Uniting American Families Act
Thanks goes to Paul and Dan for sharing their story with the filippino television station. Why would the government not allow 2 person in love to stay together? Why would the government intentionally break up couples just because they are gay lesbian bisexual or transgender and one of them just happened to be a foreigner? This is just blatant discrimination that a heterosexual american can sponsor his/her foreign born partner for a green card but a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender american cannot sponsor his/her foreign born partner for a green card.
We need to pass the Uniting American Families Act to address this inequality! The bill has just been introduced in the house (HR1024) with 80 cosponsor and in the senate (S424) with 14 cosponsor. Please call your senators and representative and urge them to sponsor this bill!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Alicia @ Marriage Equality Rally in Sacramento
Here's Alicia attending her 4th rally in support of Marriage Equality. Thanks to fritz (at pamshouseblend.com) for taking the pictures.
We all had a very good time while we were there. We think that she likes being in a crowd and hearing the roar from the crowd (clapping, screamming etc) because that is a sign and an encouragement for her to scream at the top of her lungs too.... She also have lots of facial expression (as you can see from the pictures).
Now we just need to find out from Aunty Rona what we need to do to get her used to road trip (or start enjoying road trips).
Friday, February 13, 2009
Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)
I just want to update all of you about the re-introduction of the Uniting American Families Act yesterday by Rep Jerrold Nadler (HR1024) and Senator Patrick Leahy (S 424).
The house bill has managed to secure 79 cosponsors and the senate bill has secured 14 cosponsors.
This is hugely significant as during the past few sessions when the bill was introduced, we have never secured so many cosponsors signing on from the start.
I want to urge all of you to call you representative to (1) urge them to sponsor this important bill or (2) thank them for signing on to the bill.
This bill is important because currently LGBT binational couple where one partner is an American does not have any rights to sponsor their foreign born partner for a green card. A lot of them are being forced to leave the country to live in exile just so that they can stay together with their loved ones. This is blatantly unfair to force an American to choose between love or country.
We have a real chance of getting this bill heard and passed and we need all you help.
Please spread the word and call your representatives and senators to support this bill.
Thank you!
For more information:
Out4Immigration: http://www.out4immigration.org
Marriage Equality: http://www.marriageequality.or...
Love Exiles: http://www.loveexiles.org
The house bill has managed to secure 79 cosponsors and the senate bill has secured 14 cosponsors.
This is hugely significant as during the past few sessions when the bill was introduced, we have never secured so many cosponsors signing on from the start.
I want to urge all of you to call you representative to (1) urge them to sponsor this important bill or (2) thank them for signing on to the bill.
This bill is important because currently LGBT binational couple where one partner is an American does not have any rights to sponsor their foreign born partner for a green card. A lot of them are being forced to leave the country to live in exile just so that they can stay together with their loved ones. This is blatantly unfair to force an American to choose between love or country.
We have a real chance of getting this bill heard and passed and we need all you help.
Please spread the word and call your representatives and senators to support this bill.
Thank you!
For more information:
Out4Immigration: http://www.out4immigration.org
Marriage Equality: http://www.marriageequality.or...
Love Exiles: http://www.loveexiles.org
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Out4Immigration Hopeful Re-Introduction of Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) Will Get a Hearing, a Vote and a Signature by President Obama
Bills in House and Senate Call for End to Immigration Discrimination against Same-Sex Binational Couples in United States
WASHINGTON, DC, February 12, 2009 – Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) re-introduced The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) in the House and Senate today. The legislation calls for an end to the immigration discrimination gay and lesbian Americans face when they seek to sponsor a foreign partner to live with them in the United States.
“One of the fundamental principles of American immigration law and policy is the notion of family unification…. Unfortunately, same-sex couples committed to spending their lives together are not recognized as "families" under current federal law, including US immigration law,” said Nadler.
“The idea that immigration benefits should be extended to same-sex couples is not a novel one. Many nations have come to recognize that their respective immigration laws should respect family unity, regardless of a person’s sexual orientation. Indeed, 16 of our closest allies – Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom – recognize same-sex couples for immigration purposes,” said Leahy.
This is the sixth time this legislation, formerly known as the Permanent Partners Immigration Act, has been introduced in Congress. The bills call for simply amending existing US immigration law by adding three words – “or permanent partner” – wherever the word spouse appears. It is estimated some 36,000 gay and lesbian American citizens are in same-sex binational relationships and are affected by lack of rights and protections of their relationships at the federal level.
“Today marks a fresh beginning for change toward the discrimination faced by same sex- binational couples,” said Mickey Lim, Vice President of the grassroots organization Out4Immigration, which works to raise awareness about this issue. “We recognize the significance of the reintroduction of the UAFA during Freedom to Marry Week because immigration rights are one of the 1,138 rights same-sex couples are denied at the federal level because our relationships are not recognized by our government.”
The UAFA already has 50+ co-sponsors in the House and 12 in the Senate. Rep. Nadler is hopeful that the bill will finally get a hearing at the Committee level this time around. With a new administration in place, a bill of this caliber – which addresses both LGBT issues and immigration issues – has a good chance of receiving more support than in the past.
“President Obama indicated he supports this legislation during his campaign,” said Lim. “Therefore, we hope the UAFA will finally get a hearing at the Committee level. This will help more people understand the impact that this discrimination has had on hundreds and thousands of same-sex binational couples.”
Once the UAFA gets out of committee, it can go for a floor vote. The significance of having many co-sponsors on board early on indicates the bill has a good chance of passing in Congress. Once that happens it goes to the President’s desk. President Obama is on record saying he wants to “afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.”
For more information:
Rep. Nadler Continues Fight for LGBT Immigrant Rights: Uniting American Families Act Would Allow Americans to Sponsor Permanent Partners: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny08_nadler/UAFA_021209.html
Leahy Introduces Bill To Provide Equality Under Immigration Law: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200902/021209b.html
The White House: President Barack Obama: Civil Rights: Support for the LGBT Community: Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/
Senator Obama’s Open Letter to LGBT Community Echoes Out4Immigration’s Call: http://www.out4immigration.org/immigration/content_detail.asp?=&id=1231&ctid=148
The Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 2221): http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02221:
The Uniting American Families Act (S.1328): http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN01328:
Human Rights Watch Report: Family Unvalued: Discrimination, Denial, and the Fate of Binational Same-Sex Couples under US Law: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/us0506/
About Out4Immigration:
Out4Immigration is a grassroots organization based in San Francisco that addresses the widespread discriminatory impact of US 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. For more information, visit www.out4immigration.org. To schedule interviews with same-sex binational couples who are available to speak with the media on this issue, including Spanish-speaking couples, please contact Amos Lim, amos at out4immigration.org, 415-375-3765 or Kathy Drasky at kathy at out4immigration.org, 415-606-2085.
WASHINGTON, DC, February 12, 2009 – Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) re-introduced The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) in the House and Senate today. The legislation calls for an end to the immigration discrimination gay and lesbian Americans face when they seek to sponsor a foreign partner to live with them in the United States.
“One of the fundamental principles of American immigration law and policy is the notion of family unification…. Unfortunately, same-sex couples committed to spending their lives together are not recognized as "families" under current federal law, including US immigration law,” said Nadler.
“The idea that immigration benefits should be extended to same-sex couples is not a novel one. Many nations have come to recognize that their respective immigration laws should respect family unity, regardless of a person’s sexual orientation. Indeed, 16 of our closest allies – Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom – recognize same-sex couples for immigration purposes,” said Leahy.
This is the sixth time this legislation, formerly known as the Permanent Partners Immigration Act, has been introduced in Congress. The bills call for simply amending existing US immigration law by adding three words – “or permanent partner” – wherever the word spouse appears. It is estimated some 36,000 gay and lesbian American citizens are in same-sex binational relationships and are affected by lack of rights and protections of their relationships at the federal level.
“Today marks a fresh beginning for change toward the discrimination faced by same sex- binational couples,” said Mickey Lim, Vice President of the grassroots organization Out4Immigration, which works to raise awareness about this issue. “We recognize the significance of the reintroduction of the UAFA during Freedom to Marry Week because immigration rights are one of the 1,138 rights same-sex couples are denied at the federal level because our relationships are not recognized by our government.”
The UAFA already has 50+ co-sponsors in the House and 12 in the Senate. Rep. Nadler is hopeful that the bill will finally get a hearing at the Committee level this time around. With a new administration in place, a bill of this caliber – which addresses both LGBT issues and immigration issues – has a good chance of receiving more support than in the past.
“President Obama indicated he supports this legislation during his campaign,” said Lim. “Therefore, we hope the UAFA will finally get a hearing at the Committee level. This will help more people understand the impact that this discrimination has had on hundreds and thousands of same-sex binational couples.”
Once the UAFA gets out of committee, it can go for a floor vote. The significance of having many co-sponsors on board early on indicates the bill has a good chance of passing in Congress. Once that happens it goes to the President’s desk. President Obama is on record saying he wants to “afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.”
For more information:
Rep. Nadler Continues Fight for LGBT Immigrant Rights: Uniting American Families Act Would Allow Americans to Sponsor Permanent Partners: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny08_nadler/UAFA_021209.html
Leahy Introduces Bill To Provide Equality Under Immigration Law: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200902/021209b.html
The White House: President Barack Obama: Civil Rights: Support for the LGBT Community: Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/
Senator Obama’s Open Letter to LGBT Community Echoes Out4Immigration’s Call: http://www.out4immigration.org/immigration/content_detail.asp?=&id=1231&ctid=148
The Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 2221): http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02221:
The Uniting American Families Act (S.1328): http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN01328:
Human Rights Watch Report: Family Unvalued: Discrimination, Denial, and the Fate of Binational Same-Sex Couples under US Law: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/us0506/
About Out4Immigration:
Out4Immigration is a grassroots organization based in San Francisco that addresses the widespread discriminatory impact of US 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. For more information, visit www.out4immigration.org. To schedule interviews with same-sex binational couples who are available to speak with the media on this issue, including Spanish-speaking couples, please contact Amos Lim, amos at out4immigration.org, 415-375-3765 or Kathy Drasky at kathy at out4immigration.org, 415-606-2085.
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