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A resolution supporting the federal bill that would allow gay U.S. citizens to sponsor their partners for a visa passed the California Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote.

Our cover story this week, "Worlds Apart," tells the story of three Bay Area couples whose lives would be changed by the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), a federal bill that allows "permanent partners" to be treated the same as straight spouses in immigration matters. Currently, gay couples have no legal pathway to sponsor their foreign partners to stay in the country.


While the federal UAFA bill is on hold while lawmakers decide whether to include it in the comprehensive immigration reform, California legislators such as Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced a resolution last year urging the U.S. Congress to pass the s
... that bans healthy gay and bisexual men from donating blood; and passage of the Uniting American Families Act, which would keep bi-national same-sex couples together by allowing one partner to sponsor the other for immigration. ...
Sacramento – Today the State Assembly passed a resolution officially endorsing a federal law ending discriminatory immigration policies by permitting U.S. citizens and permanent residents to obtain lawful immigration status for a same-sex partner by a 41-28 vote. The resolution, AJR 15, introduced by Assembly Member Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and co-sponsored by Equality California (EQCA) and Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE), formally requests that the United States Congress pass and President Barack Obama sign the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

“Our current immigration laws keep thousands of families apart simply because they are headed by same-sex couples,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. “We urge Congress and the President to stop penalizing these families and to pass the Uniting American Families Act so that all families enjoy equ
The California Assembly Judiciary Committee will be hearing testimony on AJR 15, a California resolution to support the federal Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

How can we obtain private bills for all the LGBT binational couples? The only recourse is UAFA and that is why Tuesday’s assembly resolution hearing is so significant. It would be California’s way of saying – …”you have to give all Americans the same rights regardless of relationship orientation. ” It would also hopefully send a message to Senator Feinstein who has not yet signed on as a co-sponsor of UAFA; and hopefully those who are signed on and all advocates will stop hanging their hats on the yet to be seen, maybe to happen, mega issue of comprehensive immigration reform. We must push NOW for UAFA. So much talent has been lost to our State because so many of our Californians have had to leave home to be wi
The California Assembly Judiciary Committee will be hearing testimony on AJR 15, a California resolution to support the federal Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).
The resolution, introduced by Assembly Member Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and co-sponsored by Equality California (EQCA) and Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE), formally requests that the US Congress pass and that President Barack Obama sign the Uniting American Families Act. Under current federal law, American citizens are permitted to sponsor an opposite-sex spouse. LGBT partners do not have the same right and are specifically excluded even if married under State law, sue to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA which defines marriage as between a man and a woman only. The UAFA would extend this basic right to committed same-sex couples, who can prove they are in a committed relationship.
...will be hearing testimony on AJR 15, a California resolution to support the federal Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).The resolution...
Eliminate Immigration Barriers for Same-Sex Couples. The Assembly Judiciary Committee will be hearing testimony on AJR 15, a California resolution to support the federal Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

The resolution, introduced by Assembly Member Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and co-sponsored by Equality California (EQCA) and Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE), formally requests that the US Congress pass and President Barack Obama sign the UAFA. Under current federal law, American citizens are permitted to sponsor an opposite-sex (Uniting American families Act spouse applying for legal residency. The UAFA would extend this basic right to committed same-sex couples, who are currently prohibited from sponsoring their partners.

On June 30th, I will be going to Sacramento with Shirley Tan and her family, to testify in favor of a California State Resolution supporting the passage of the Uniting American Families Act* which was re-introduced into Congress by ...
Written Statement of Joe Solmonese, President, Human Rights Campaign. To the Committee on Judiciary, U.S Why the Act is Needed

Our government’s failure to recognize lesbian and gay families for immigration purposes wreaks havoc on the lives of the American citizens who fall in love with non-citizens and the children who fear being deprived of one of their parents. Many are forced to leave family and friends, sell businesses and abandon the community and country they love in order to keep their families together. Families are forced to choose: separate or live in exile.

The effects of this injustice are all too real for thousands of Americans. The last census revealed that nearly 36,000 bi-national couples are affected by the inequality in our nation’s immigration laws. This injustice affects entire families; nearly 47% percent of bi-national couples are raisin
Immigration Equality sent out an announcement about the Senate Judiciary hearing being held on Wednesday June 3rd on the Uniting American Familes Act (UAFA). On Wednesday morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold the first-ever ...
Today I enjoyed lunch with Shirley Tan, Jay, the twins, Martha and Lin McDevitt-Pugh (Love Exiles founders, from the Netherlands), Becky Bransky, Legislative Director of Lesbian and Gay Task Force and Julie Kruse, Policy Director Immigration Equality. The Brown Bag was a perfect choice for our informal gathering. It was a well deserved lunch after an emotional meet-up with the witnesses who are testifying in tomorrows Senate Judiciary hearing. The LGBT Immigration cause has a stupendous team. The choice of witnesses is an exciting compliment.
Uniting American Families Act This is an important bill that falls under the Judicial Committee's jurisdiction. On Wednesday June 3 at 10 a.m., the full committee will hold a hearing on the Uniting American Families Act. Under current U.S. law, American citizens may sponsor their spouses for citizenship. Same sex couples do not have the same right. The Uniting American Families Act would remedy this. This is one of things that we should publicize and contact our Senators about. Of course, this is also an opportunity for the GOP to pull the ever elusive homophobia/xenophobia two-fer. I'm going to tune in.
...hear the Uniting American Families Act, a bill that would allow LGBT Americans to sponsor foreign spouses for immigration to the United States.
This Just In: "The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its first-ever hearing on The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), a bill to end...

I read the story at Immigration Equality dot org several days ago. The current word is the committee has lots of personal stories and are mainly interested in hearing from the various organizations involved like Immigrationequality.org and out4immigration.com, ACLU, LAMBDA legal, and some others. This committee has plenty of stories and letters in their offices. I myself have written truck loads of letters as well as the many other bi-national couples have also done the same. This hearing is a very big deal since the various organizations have been trying to get a hearing for 10 years!
Senator Leahy is the Senator that not only made this hearing happen but also authored the Senate version of UAFA. Representative Nadler authored t
Nada. Where have you gone, rainbow-colored-logo-Obama of yesteryear when you said: I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

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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.