In this week’s print edition, Gay City News laid out its endorsements in November 2 races for state offices in New York, some of which remain competitive, especially for the State Senate.At the federal level, the major risk facing the LGBT community is the potential for Democrats losing control of the House of Representatives. Though Democrats are also expected to see their 59-41 edge in the Senate whittled considerably, the party is widely expected to hold on there.Loss of the House or of both chambers would deal a devastating blow to efforts to move forward on significant gay political goals — most prominent among them:repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (should the Senate fail to complete action in the lame duck session);passage of a transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act;enactment of immigration reform that includes the right of same-sex binational couples to have a for
Search results for hate, crime, passes, senate, , close, final, passage
Our Picks for the US Senate and House - Chelsea Now
Posted by
uluckidog 570 days ago
(http://news.google.com)
Resolution To Support Gay Binational Couples Heads To California Senate
Posted by
LauREN 705 days ago
(http://blogs.sfweekly.com)
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
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
Senate seen as bottleneck for LGBT bills
Posted by
OurHero-Tan 879 days ago
(http://www.edgesanfrancisco.com)
So far the votes are not there to undo DOMA, and an immigration reform bill set to be taken up by a House committee early next year does not include any LGBT language. The out lawmakers did say they believe when the House does schedule a vote on immigration reform the final version of the bill will include the pro-gay provisions for LGBT binational couples.
Get ready to laugh. I'm going to lead you through the twists and turns of one of the most ridiculous places known to humankind: the U.S. Congress. The purpose of this exercise is to explain what has happened to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
But I have a deeper goal. The hate crimes bill is the first in a series of pro-LGBT proposals expected to come before Congress. These include the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, changes in immigration laws and repeals of the Defense of Marriage Act and the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbians and gays in the military.
Given that President Obama has said he favors these proposals, the trick for LGBT America is to get them through Congress and onto his desk. This is no easy task. To succeed, our community and allies must understand how Congress really works. We need to know when to relax and let the pro
But I have a deeper goal. The hate crimes bill is the first in a series of pro-LGBT proposals expected to come before Congress. These include the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, changes in immigration laws and repeals of the Defense of Marriage Act and the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbians and gays in the military.
Given that President Obama has said he favors these proposals, the trick for LGBT America is to get them through Congress and onto his desk. This is no easy task. To succeed, our community and allies must understand how Congress really works. We need to know when to relax and let the pro
Push for UAFA Passage What About Us
Posted by
Fight4theRight 1017 days ago
(http://lezgetreal.com)
I had the great pleasure this past month working with Out4 Immigration in developing their Grassroots Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) Campaign, manifesting in a comprehensive and invaluable Action Kit. ...
Push For UAFA Passage Out4Immigration Deploys
Posted by
Fight4theRight 1022 days ago
(http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com)
The ‘UAFA Waiting List’ is one no one wants to be on – it is one that keeps binational exiles abroad, others in hiding, and inter alia some fifty year olds pleading to stop time so that they are not sixty by the time they get to cohabit with their spouses/partners.
This year a synchronicity of events and increased sponsorship of UAFA gives us hope that maybe we can gain more support in this Congress in a push for passage of the Uniting American Families Act. We are urging fast and prompt action ...
Binational couples need your help. Unlike other unfortunate discriminatory practices against our community, here in the US and abroad, this is the one that either keeps partners apart or forces them to choose between heart and home....
This year a synchronicity of events and increased sponsorship of UAFA gives us hope that maybe we can gain more support in this Congress in a push for passage of the Uniting American Families Act. We are urging fast and prompt action ...
Binational couples need your help. Unlike other unfortunate discriminatory practices against our community, here in the US and abroad, this is the one that either keeps partners apart or forces them to choose between heart and home....
Hate Crime Bill Passes Senate Close to Final Passage
Posted by
igualdad 1036 days ago
(http://www.sfbaytimes.com)
The Senate tacked hate crimes onto the defense appropriations bill, so we are a conference committee away from sending “something gay” to the desk of the president for the first time. The conference committee needs to strip out a poison pill amendment that mandates the death sentence for certain federal crimes, but other than that detail, we’re home free.
I know you want to hear about the midgets, but I’m not finished. I can’t help being pleased by this modest step in the right direction, but as I’ve written before, a hate crime law is last on my personal gay agenda. It is an ineffective deterrent to a type of violence that will only abate gradually with the help of substantial gay rights legislation. The repeal of the military ban. The addition of sexual orientation to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Immigration reform for the partners of gay Americans. Federal recognit
I know you want to hear about the midgets, but I’m not finished. I can’t help being pleased by this modest step in the right direction, but as I’ve written before, a hate crime law is last on my personal gay agenda. It is an ineffective deterrent to a type of violence that will only abate gradually with the help of substantial gay rights legislation. The repeal of the military ban. The addition of sexual orientation to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Immigration reform for the partners of gay Americans. Federal recognit
Questions Around Hate Crime Legislation
Posted by
DividedByLaw 1058 days ago
(http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign have been working to pass a hate crimes bill, also referred to as the Matthew Shephard Act (in remembrance of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shephard in Laramie, WY). This legislation would let the U.S. Justice Department help to prosecute hate crimes committed against LGBT people that result in serious injury or death. The timing is certainly right: hate crimes against both the LGBTQ community and minority communities, particularly Latinos, are on the rise. As I listened to a radio broadcast of Latino USA discussing hate crimes on my way home from work the other day, my head and my heart pulled in two separate directions. With murmurs of immigration reform from the White House and nearly unprecedented unemployment rates, anti-immigrant/anti-Latino groups have become more violent....
America supports passage of the Uniting American Families Act
Posted by
ATLdave 1062 days ago
(http://www.care2.com)
By signing the letter today, you bring us one step closer to equal immigration rights, so citizens can sponsor their same-sex partners for immigration purposes. Your support of this legislation is vital if America's immigration policies are going to reflect our fundamental commitment to family values and equality for all. No more separation. No more deportation. No more fear!
What Hate Crimes and Travel Promotion Have in Common
Posted by
UnitedByLove 1074 days ago
(http://jaysays.com)
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what hate crimes and the promotion of tourism into the United States have to do with each other. However, as is being reported via an “unnamed source” by way of the Washington Blade, Americablog and Pam’s House Blend, The United States Senate has, apparently, deemed adding the current Hate Crimes Bill (which passed the House as H.R. 1913) as an Amendment to S. 1023, also known as the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, proper.
The purpose of S. 1023 is “to establish a non-profit corporation to communicate United States entry policies and otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United States.” But this is, apparently, the bill which will get sexual orientation and gender identity included into existing federal hate crimes legislation – have gays, will travel.
The purpose of S. 1023 is “to establish a non-profit corporation to communicate United States entry policies and otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United States.” But this is, apparently, the bill which will get sexual orientation and gender identity included into existing federal hate crimes legislation – have gays, will travel.
Binational same sex couples hope immigration bill passes
Posted by
BinatUK 1078 days ago
(http://www.newsday.com)
They've been together eight years, marrying last month in Canada. Only Roy can't sponsor his partner for a green card because they're a same-sex couple.
"I don't understand how I have a legal document from Canada saying that we are legally married and why I can't bring him to the country," said Roy, 54, of Amityville, who did not want his last name disclosed because he is concerned about his partner's immigration status. "It's absolutely nuts."
The Family Research Council called it a "back door effort to redefine marriage." "The law in this country is very clear on what constitutes family," said Tony Perkins, the group's president. "People are connected by blood, marriage or adoption. This immigration policy is none of the above." For Blesch, who has a health condition, that means being unable to receive the Medicare benefits he receives here. "For both of us
"I don't understand how I have a legal document from Canada saying that we are legally married and why I can't bring him to the country," said Roy, 54, of Amityville, who did not want his last name disclosed because he is concerned about his partner's immigration status. "It's absolutely nuts."
The Family Research Council called it a "back door effort to redefine marriage." "The law in this country is very clear on what constitutes family," said Tony Perkins, the group's president. "People are connected by blood, marriage or adoption. This immigration policy is none of the above." For Blesch, who has a health condition, that means being unable to receive the Medicare benefits he receives here. "For both of us
Whats there to Get about Marriage Equality (Jennifer Brunner)
Posted by
uluckidog 1079 days ago
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com)
Jennifer BrunnerOhio Secretary Of State; candidate for U.S. Senate - When an LGBT couple, with or without children, is bi-national, problems increase. Marriage equality is the law in the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Spain and South Africa. However, the U.S. definition of "family" for immigration purposes does not include LGBT couples. Without this, many U.S. LGBT citizens have found their only alternative is to emigrate with their partners to a country with laws that afford them the opportunity to live together without fear of separation because of antiquated laws that do not recognize their families.
Even in countries not recognizing marriage equality, common sense immigration equality has been legislated. (For those concerned about fraud, it should be pointed out that none of these countries has reported fraud associated with this policy.)
A good start is to
Even in countries not recognizing marriage equality, common sense immigration equality has been legislated. (For those concerned about fraud, it should be pointed out that none of these countries has reported fraud associated with this policy.)
A good start is to
Lesbian Mom Testifies in US Senate for Uniting American Families Act
Posted by
freedom2immigrate 1084 days ago
(http://www.topix.com)
this woman is screwed. my cockroach country (United States of America) hates gay human beings. how do i know this? the other day, i was talking with a co-worker, when a H1-B visa contractor from India tells me that he got married in India, and now is bed-buddy is living here in the United States with him. it just infuriates me that a non-citizen/non-permanent resident gets to bring their bed-buddy into my country, yet i (U.S. CITIZEN) am forbidden from bringing a foreign-national bed-buddy for myself. the United States of America is nothing but a cockroach country. cockroach = christian = cockroach
Filipino lesbian mother, Shirley Tan, had received a temporary reprieve and was scheduled to be deported and separated from her partner of 23 years, Jay Mercado, and their two children on April 22. She was saved at the last minute by a private bill introduced by Senator Dianne F
Filipino lesbian mother, Shirley Tan, had received a temporary reprieve and was scheduled to be deported and separated from her partner of 23 years, Jay Mercado, and their two children on April 22. She was saved at the last minute by a private bill introduced by Senator Dianne F
Uniting American Families Act (HRC BACKSTORY)
Posted by
DividedByLaw 1085 days ago
(http://www.hrcbackstory.org)
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
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
This was a historic event because it marked the first time in history that the Senate held hearing regarding Same-Sex Family Immigration matters.
For those unfamiliar with the UAFA, it is a bill that would add the term “Permanent Partner” to the list of those eligible for US Immigration benefits based upon a family relationship. Under the Defense of Marriage Act, the Federal government only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman. The UAFA creates a new category of family member, namely: Permanent Partners.
A note of importance, the President of AILA , The American Immigration Lawyers Association, submitted a statement to the committee supporting the enactment of the Uniting of American Families Act. An interesting quote from the statement:
“[S]ame sex partners of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are not recognized as family member
For those unfamiliar with the UAFA, it is a bill that would add the term “Permanent Partner” to the list of those eligible for US Immigration benefits based upon a family relationship. Under the Defense of Marriage Act, the Federal government only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman. The UAFA creates a new category of family member, namely: Permanent Partners.
A note of importance, the President of AILA , The American Immigration Lawyers Association, submitted a statement to the committee supporting the enactment of the Uniting of American Families Act. An interesting quote from the statement:
“[S]ame sex partners of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are not recognized as family member
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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.