The author presents calculations to support the position that the total number of same-sex binational couples with one U.S. citizen partner is far greater than the ubiquitously quoted "36,000."
The article explains the origin and the flaws of the 36,000 number and proposed that when we advocate for UAFA, we should stop using the outdated figure and use instead a range of 50,000 - 100,000.
Search results for families
With the nation's attention still focused on health care, it may seem like comprehensive immigration reform has been swept under the rug. Don't worry--it may be quiet right now, but CIR is not dead. This past week members of Congress have shown us that immigration reform legislation is still on the agenda.
The legal center report said repealing DOMA is “an obvious and necessary step to ending federal discrimination against gay and lesbian couples.”
Entitled “A Devastating Wait: Family Unity and the Immigration Backlogs,” the report includes a long laundry list of recommendations for immigration legislation, including reclassifying spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents as immediate relatives, exempting Filipino World War II veterans from annual quotas and placing a permanent three-year cap on wait times for family-sponsored visas – which woul
The legal center report said repealing DOMA is “an obvious and necessary step to ending federal discrimination against gay and lesbian couples.”
Entitled “A Devastating Wait: Family Unity and the Immigration Backlogs,” the report includes a long laundry list of recommendations for immigration legislation, including reclassifying spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents as immediate relatives, exempting Filipino World War II veterans from annual quotas and placing a permanent three-year cap on wait times for family-sponsored visas – which woul
This Wallet is Now Closed (Preparing Our Exile)
Posted by
UnitedByLove 930 days ago
(http://preparingourexile.blogspot.com)
I watched helplessly on Tuesday night as yet another vote was held on whether or not I deserve equal rights in this country. I watched my countrymen once again say that I am not quite human enough to deserve the same respect, dignity and rights that they enjoy.
I watched President Obama, the self-described "fierce advocate" for gay rights, very very carefully word a statement that was at best lukewarm in his support for those on the side of equality in Maine. I spoke face to face with my Congressman who looked helpless to me while he explained it would be difficult to pass the Uniting American Families Act. I still have the letter he sent me when I wrote him to ask him to co-sponsor that bill. He claimed to support it, but refused to co-sponsor.
o more will I sit back and accept your promises, your urgings to wait for equality. I'm sick of it. Stand up and get
I watched President Obama, the self-described "fierce advocate" for gay rights, very very carefully word a statement that was at best lukewarm in his support for those on the side of equality in Maine. I spoke face to face with my Congressman who looked helpless to me while he explained it would be difficult to pass the Uniting American Families Act. I still have the letter he sent me when I wrote him to ask him to co-sponsor that bill. He claimed to support it, but refused to co-sponsor.
o more will I sit back and accept your promises, your urgings to wait for equality. I'm sick of it. Stand up and get
Opinions on issues regarding the LGBT community: Marriage Equality, Don't Ask Don't Tell DADT, Defense Of Marriage Act DOMA, Respect For Marriage Act, and LGBT Immigration issues and the Uniting American Families Act UAFA ...
How can we have any dignity, honor or pride in ourselves if we validate this continued process of ballot box terrorism? How can we stand tall next to each other if we explain away another's cowardliness? How can we allow people to dehumanize our relationships and our very integrity if we give people passes to sit out the battle for our very freedom? No longer are political timelines a reason for delay, no longer are incremental approaches acceptable and no longer can the political process expect us to be patient and wait our turn. Our turn came long ago and there will be no more waiting....
How can we have any dignity, honor or pride in ourselves if we validate this continued process of ballot box terrorism? How can we stand tall next to each other if we explain away another's cowardliness? How can we allow people to dehumanize our relationships and our very integrity if we give people passes to sit out the battle for our very freedom? No longer are political timelines a reason for delay, no longer are incremental approaches acceptable and no longer can the political process expect us to be patient and wait our turn. Our turn came long ago and there will be no more waiting....
Do the right thing and keep binational families together
Posted by
USABound 930 days ago
(http://news.google.com)
Gutierrez is a staunch champion of both LGBT issues and immigrant families, and legislation under his stewardship that is LGBT-inclusive will be instrumental in ensuring that our families are not forgotten. In short, his bill can be instrumental in putting Congress on notice that lawmakers who care about LGBT immigrant families will not allow those families to remain vulnerable and excluded from immigration reform efforts. Families in his district, and around the country, are counting on his continued leadership to end the discriminatory immigration laws that force them apart.
Maine Marriage Setback a Call to Action for Federal LGBT Rights
Posted by
BinatUK 930 days ago
(http://www.indybay.org)
The State of Maine’s rejection of marriage equality at the ballot box yesterday is being heeded as a call for federal LGBT rights by activists and organizations around the US, including Out4Immigration.
The Maine vote was 53% in support of taking away civil marriage rights granted to gays and lesbians by approval of the state legislature and signed into law by the state’s governor 6 months ago. 47% of voters supported marriage equality. “Subjecting minority rights to majority vote repeatedly denies equality to LGBT families,” said Mickey Lim, vice president and co-founder of Out4Immigration, a grassroots organization that works closely with same-sex marriage groups for recognition of same-sex binational couple rights tied to federal immigration policies.
Out4Immigation advocates for same-sex binational couples, relationships in which one partner is American and
The Maine vote was 53% in support of taking away civil marriage rights granted to gays and lesbians by approval of the state legislature and signed into law by the state’s governor 6 months ago. 47% of voters supported marriage equality. “Subjecting minority rights to majority vote repeatedly denies equality to LGBT families,” said Mickey Lim, vice president and co-founder of Out4Immigration, a grassroots organization that works closely with same-sex marriage groups for recognition of same-sex binational couple rights tied to federal immigration policies.
Out4Immigation advocates for same-sex binational couples, relationships in which one partner is American and
Gay immigrants
Posted by
freedom2immigrate 941 days ago
(http://www.houstonvoice.com)
Images from last week's National Equality March shared and posted on the Internet feature the energized and bright faces of the next generation of activists - the Proposition 8 generation. ...
We can help gay newcomers by welcoming them and by continuing our efforts to pass legislation that benefit us all. The Uniting American Families Act and the Respect for Marriage Act will allow binational couples and families to stay together in the United States. The repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" will keep gay immigrant soldiers fighting for their adopted country and eventually allow them to be proud and loyal citizens. ...
We can help gay newcomers by welcoming them and by continuing our efforts to pass legislation that benefit us all. The Uniting American Families Act and the Respect for Marriage Act will allow binational couples and families to stay together in the United States. The repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" will keep gay immigrant soldiers fighting for their adopted country and eventually allow them to be proud and loyal citizens. ...
Immigration reform bill intrigues gay activists
Posted by
freedom2immigrate 941 days ago
(http://www.washblade.com)
LGBT rights supporters on Capitol Hill are looking to an Illinois congressman for inclusion in his upcoming immigration reform bill that's expected to appeal to more liberal members of the U.S. House.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) on Tuesday issued a statement of core principles for his planned comprehensive reform legislation, which includes a belief in family "as a cornerstone of our immigration system."
"Family is the bedrock of our society, and immigration reform must support strong, united families and treat all immigrant families fairly and equally," says the statement. "Right now, our broken immigration system keeps too many American families apart for years and even decades, when they have done everything legally."
The statement calls for immigration rules "predicated on family values" that keep family members together.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) on Tuesday issued a statement of core principles for his planned comprehensive reform legislation, which includes a belief in family "as a cornerstone of our immigration system."
"Family is the bedrock of our society, and immigration reform must support strong, united families and treat all immigrant families fairly and equally," says the statement. "Right now, our broken immigration system keeps too many American families apart for years and even decades, when they have done everything legally."
The statement calls for immigration rules "predicated on family values" that keep family members together.
The principles of comprehensive immigration reform legislation are being unveiled today and they are LGBT inclusive:
25 KEY PRINCIPLES TO MEANINGFUL REFORM :
11. Included the language of the Uniting American Families Act that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow permanent partners of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, including same-sex partners, to obtain permanent residency....
25 KEY PRINCIPLES TO MEANINGFUL REFORM :
11. Included the language of the Uniting American Families Act that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow permanent partners of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, including same-sex partners, to obtain permanent residency....
The time is now, lest immigration be maligned further. A nation born of immigrants, whether Hispanic, Asian, African, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, we are forgetting the forbearance shown our forefathers and forgoing the ... U.S. Representative Mike Honda, who represents California’s 15th Congressional district (including Silicon Valley) has long been a supporter of immigration reform. In today’s Roll Call (popular in-game newspaper on Capitol Hill), there is an opinion piece by Congressman Honda that refreshingly includes binational same-sex couples while giving examples of why the current immigration system must be reformed....
Another constituent, Judy Rickard, will permanently leave America this November in an effort to keep her family together. Under U.S. law, she cannot be reunited with her partner, Karin Bogliolo, a UK national. Judy would have preferred to
Another constituent, Judy Rickard, will permanently leave America this November in an effort to keep her family together. Under U.S. law, she cannot be reunited with her partner, Karin Bogliolo, a UK national. Judy would have preferred to
Congress has promised to begin the process of reforming America's broken immigration system later this year. There is widespread consensus that reform is urgently needed, and a growing insistence among lawmakers that any reform effort must adhere to our nation's long-standing commitment to family unification. Under current immigration law, millions of families remain separated because of inexcusable visa backlogs, unnecessary bureaucratic paper trails and discriminatory policies that do not recognize lesbian and gay families for the purposes of equal immigration rights.
For all of those families, time is of the essence. Every day, loved ones are forcibly separated from each other. For too many, the American dream is one that cannot yet be shared with their spouse, sibling or significant other.
As Congress begins to debate immigration reform, all of our families
For all of those families, time is of the essence. Every day, loved ones are forcibly separated from each other. For too many, the American dream is one that cannot yet be shared with their spouse, sibling or significant other.
As Congress begins to debate immigration reform, all of our families
Pass the Uniting American Families Act
Posted by
uluckidog 945 days ago
(http://thehill.com)
We must change the law to end the gratuitous cruelty being imposed on Greg, Jaime and the thousands of other couples just like them around the country. We urge Congress to incorporate UAFA into the forthcoming comprehensive immigration reform. No immigration reform we enact can be truly comprehensive unless it also addresses this deprivation of the civil rights of bi-national families. There is no rational reason to continue this discriminatory treatment. It is long past time that Congress did something about it....
Big Gay Speech We Wish Obama Would Give
Posted by
DividedByLaw 956 days ago
(http://newsbusters.org)
Contributor Emma Ruby-Sachs imagined Obama marrying the gay agenda to another liberal issue, having him say:
Within one year, by November 2010, we will introduce comprehensive immigration reform. This immigration package will include spousal sponsorship for same-sex couples in a committed relationship. Immigration reform is a priority for my administration and no reform package will be complete without this provision for the unification of American families thus far separated by discriminatory immigration policies.
Within one year, by November 2010, we will introduce comprehensive immigration reform. This immigration package will include spousal sponsorship for same-sex couples in a committed relationship. Immigration reform is a priority for my administration and no reform package will be complete without this provision for the unification of American families thus far separated by discriminatory immigration policies.
I AM HERE WITH YOU IN THAT FIGHT
Posted by
UnitedByLove 956 days ago
(http://lezgetreal.com)
... you are not included in any of tonight's promises under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, until repeal of DOMA or passage of stand-alone legislation such as the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) or Comprehensive Immigration ...
#NEM You can help One Hundred Thousand Americans in 5 minutes
Posted by
ATLdave 956 days ago
(http://www.dailykos.com)
There are 36,000 bi-national same-sex couples living in the US, nearly half of them with children.
Contrary to a popular misconceptions, state-level same sex marriage offers no avenue for citizens to petition for residency for their non-citizens same sex partners. It is the jusidiction of Federal Government that doesn't, and likely won't anytime soon, recognize same sex relationships.
A remedy may be in the works, but the GLBT community and supporters must seize this moment to tell congress people now is the time to respect our families.
There is an expedited form to send to your local rep urging them to include GLBT immigration equality into the reform package. It took me 3 minutes to fill out, please do so here. You can send their form letter, or (better) customize your own.
Follow under
Contrary to a popular misconceptions, state-level same sex marriage offers no avenue for citizens to petition for residency for their non-citizens same sex partners. It is the jusidiction of Federal Government that doesn't, and likely won't anytime soon, recognize same sex relationships.
A remedy may be in the works, but the GLBT community and supporters must seize this moment to tell congress people now is the time to respect our families.
There is an expedited form to send to your local rep urging them to include GLBT immigration equality into the reform package. It took me 3 minutes to fill out, please do so here. You can send their form letter, or (better) customize your own.
Follow under
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Promoting public awareness of the need for fairness in immigration policy particularly as it relates to the rights of same-sex bi-national couples in the United States who seek equal immigration rights; Providing information regarding political issues relating to gay immigration equality issues, rights and policy.