Please consider supporting Entry Denied - a documentary about same-sex binational couples!

Dear Family, Friends and Allies,

Entry Denied is a documentary currently in post production about 3 same-sex binational couples as they navigate the discriminatory immigration laws in the United States to try to stay together.  Currently, because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the US federal government does not recognize the relationship of same-sex couples and therefore cannot confer any rights of a married couples to them.  This means that a LGBT American is unable to sponsor their partner/spouse for a green card just like their heterosexual brothers and sisters, even if they are legally married in the 6 states & 1 district in this country.

Machu Latorre, the director of the documentary has been working on this project for the past 10 years.  She has followed 3 couples through the ups and downs as they navigate the discriminatory immigration policies that will not recognize their relationship.  As the years go by, their stories unfold to the point that today, one couple is currently living in exile in Vancouver, one couple maintains a long distance relationship and one couple has been able to stay in the US.

GLAAD recently featured this documentary in their blog and you can read about it here.  

Machu has been mostly self-financing this project for the past 10 years with some assistance from fundraisers and small grants.  She has started a kickstarter campaign to raise $15,000 for post production costs last month.  If you are unfamiliar with what a kickstarter campaign is, they are basically a crowdsourcing site where the filmmaker set a target amount that they needed to raise and they have 30 days to raise that money.  

Entry Denied as a project WILL ONLY BE FUNDED IF AT LEAST $15,000 IS PLEDGED BY SATURDAY OCT 8, 1:02PM PDT.

In the last 25 days, the project has raised about $12,800 and is just $2,200 shy of the goal of $15,000.  The project now has 5 MORE DAYS to reach the goal or it will not be funded.

I am writing to you personally to ask that you consider donating at least $10 towards the project.  Most of you are familiar with the immigration struggles that Mickey and I have to go through.  I am one of the lucky few that actually got my green card through the good will of my employers but the struggles and the fight is not over yet for my same-sex binational brothers and sisters!

For far too long, we have always complained that our issues are always ignored or often not talked about in the media or in the public.  However, with the recent changes made by the Dept of Homeland Security to start using "prosecutorial decisions" in deciding whether or not to pursue the deportations of undocumented immigrants on a case-by-case basis as well as the fact that the Obama Administration has determined that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)is unconstitutional and that they will not defend it in court, I feel that it is an important time for the documentary to be released to shed more light on this issue.

Coupled with the book, Torn Apart, by Ms Judy Rickard (if you have not read it, you need to buy a copy and read it! Our story is in there!) - I feel that both projects will be a good education tool for us to outreach to the public and our legislators about the need to change the laws, whether it is to pass the Uniting American Families Act, repeal DOMA or pass an inclusive Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill that includes LGBT Families.  It is past time for congress to address this issue because each day that they fail to address this issue, another family is being torn apart by being forced to choose between love or country!

This project also has the support of Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, serving as Executive Producers.  Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have been making films together since 1987, starting with Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature (1989). This was Rob’s second Oscar, having previously won for The Times of Harvey Milk (1984). Their other collaborations include The Celluloid Closet (directing Emmy, 1996) and Paragraph 175 (Sundance directing award, 2000). HOWL, their first scripted narrative feature (starring James Franco), premiered at Sundance and Berlin and is the recipient of the 2010 National Board of Review’s Freedom of Expression Award.

Please seriously consider donating to support the documentary and have us bring this very important documentary to the world!  And if you have already donated, a BIG Heartfelt thank you from the Lim Family!

Thank you!

Information and Links:

Entry Denied - a Documentary by Machu Latorre:

Kickstarter Campaign: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1389513043/entry-denied-a-documentary-film-by-machu-latorre

Website: http://www.entrydeniedmovie.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#%21/Entry_Denied

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Entry-Denied-film-by-Machu-Latorre/227900400554704

A NEW FILM, "ENTRY DENIED," EXPOSES INEQUALITY FACED BY BINATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY COUPLES, GLAAD - http://www.glaad.org/blog/new-film-entry-denied-exposes-inequality-faced-binational-lesbian-and-gay-couples

Entry Denied - A Documentary about Us, Out4Immigration - http://out4immigration.blogspot.com/2011/09/entry-denied-documentary-about-us.html

Same Sex Binational couples struggles for equality in new documentary, Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/glbtq-issues-in-national/same-sex-binational-couples-struggles-for-equality-new-documentary

Marriage Equality USA - http://www.marriageequality.org/films

The Immigration Closet, Gender Across Borders - http://www.genderacrossborders.com/2011/09/19/the-immigration-closet/

Donations sought for film on same-sex binational couples, Bay Area Reporter - http://ebar.com/blogs/?p=2956

2 more cosponsors for UAFA in the House!

Just found out that 2 more cosponsors signed on to the Uniting American Families Act in the house, making it a total of 88 cosponsors!

The 2 congressperson that signed on are:
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] - 3/3/2009
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 3/3/2009

If you live in any of the districts whose reps have sponsored the bill, please be sure to thank them!

Rep Clarke's contact information can be found here.
Rep Cummings' contact information can be found here.

Click on the link below to find out who has signed on to sponsor the bill (and please contact those who have not signed on to urge them to support the bill)

UAFA in the senate.
UAFA in the house.

For more information about the Uniting American Families Act, click here.

BAR - Immigration bill re-introduced in Congress

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...]

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!!

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

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.

Obama: a friend of the gay community?

When a person supports something, and that person is a leader, I would expect them to actually do something about these beliefs, unless they are a POLITICIAN. And Mr Obama is proving himself to be a politician. All talk and little action.

Specifically, he mentions in his letter to the gay community his support for the Uniting American Families Act. He has frequently touted his support for this bill, but he fails to add his name as a co-sponsor of this bill (S.1328)

He says he is for equality, yet interestingly he supports the contradictory position of separate but equal. He has made many trips to California, and San Francisco, he has made specific efforts to never be in the same room as Gavin Newsom so that no photograph could be taken of the two of them together. (Political insider former mayor Willy Brown confirmed this)

He says that he supports the repeal of DOMA, but as president, he could not repeal DOMA. As a Senator, he could introduce legislation that would! But, no legislation has been introduced.

He says that he supports the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," however, he has voted for multiple military appropriations bills to continue this unnecessary war, but he never offered a single amendment to any legislation or appropriation bill that would repeal the ban.

Mr Obama, as a Senator, has wasted the privilege, power and opportunity that his current office gives him. As a legislator he has failed to demonstrate the strength of his convictions. Mr Obama has thus far offered the LGBT community little other than rhetorical support. One could assume he wants the job of president to use "the bully pulpit" because (as opposed to doing something) talking is something he's good at. Just another politician?

Real friends help you move. Mr Obama has not demonstrate himself to be a real friend, he just talks a good talk. With the alternative being McCain, he will get my vote; but the ATM machine should be out of service when he comes knocking.

Mickey