Immigration Equality, a non-profit advocacy and legal aid organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and HIV-positive immigrants and their families, announced today that it has established a “501(c)4” entity, the Immigration Equality Action Fund, to significantly increase its federal advocacy and grassroots organizing work. The Action Fund’s launch also includes an expanded office in Washington, D.C., where a new policy staffer and an online grassroots organizer will soon join the organization.
“The launch of the Immigration Equality Action Fund comes at a critical moment in our work to advocate on behalf of LGBT immigrant families,” said Rachel B. Tiven, the organization’s executive director. “As Congress turns its attention to comprehensive immigration reform, and as a record number of lawmakers signal their support for the Uniting American Families A
Search results for lesbian, mother, handcuffed, torn, sons, partner, years
Immigration Equality announces action fund
Posted by
USAFrance 879 days ago
(http://sdgln.com)
UAFA Now ANOTHER American Exiled (WEEKLY FEATURED STORY) Melanie Nathan
Posted by
uluckidog 879 days ago
(http://lezgetreal.com)
Here is the plan – I will post a new true life story, bi- monthly featuring a story of one binational lesbian or gay couple who are either in hiding in the US, waiting for a visa to run out, living in exile or living alone unable to be with a beloved partner. I vow to do this until one of two things happen first:
a. UAFA (or equivalent) is passed into law, giving us our equal right to sponsor our partners for green-cards, equally; or
b. I run out of binational couples – The estimate is between 40,000-100,000 binationals which means I can keep writing – lets see- 2 per month for 12 months – divide into – lets do the smaller amount in case the big amount is inaccurate – so divide 24 into 40,000 = 1,666 years – please check my math….. okay I hope “a” happens first!
a. UAFA (or equivalent) is passed into law, giving us our equal right to sponsor our partners for green-cards, equally; or
b. I run out of binational couples – The estimate is between 40,000-100,000 binationals which means I can keep writing – lets see- 2 per month for 12 months – divide into – lets do the smaller amount in case the big amount is inaccurate – so divide 24 into 40,000 = 1,666 years – please check my math….. okay I hope “a” happens first!
UAFA Gains Influential New Cosponsor
Posted by
freedom2immigrate 900 days ago
(http://sdgln.com)
Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee (and formerly that committee’s Republican Chairman), has signed on as a cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).
At last June’s Senate Judiciary Committee UAFA hearing, Specter expressed strong support for ending discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans and their families in immigration law. Immigration Equality applauds Senator Specter for his support for LGBT binational families.
Eight of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s twelve Democrats are now cosponsors of UAFA. A ninth, Senator Ted Kaufman of Delaware, recently publicly stated his support for equal immigration rights for LGBT families
At last June’s Senate Judiciary Committee UAFA hearing, Specter expressed strong support for ending discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans and their families in immigration law. Immigration Equality applauds Senator Specter for his support for LGBT binational families.
Eight of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s twelve Democrats are now cosponsors of UAFA. A ninth, Senator Ted Kaufman of Delaware, recently publicly stated his support for equal immigration rights for LGBT families
Fierce Urgency of Now
Posted by
UnitedByLove 997 days ago
(http://gayrva.com)
Since ACT UPwe have done nothing on a mass scale to exploit the potential of passive resistance and nonviolent civil disobedience, the most effective, proven techniques of social action refined in the last century. Aside from a few rogue players who’ve applied for marriage licenses and small bands of activists like Soulforce (who’ve been arrested for trespassing on Christian college campuses where they try to instigate conversations about homosexuality), we have not even tried. When gay soldiers get kicked out of the military, why don’t they refuse to leave? Why don’t the rest of us go to support them? Why haven’t we tried?
400 years after Henry Hudson first sailed into Manhattan, the Amsterdam City Council will marry five US-Dutch gay couples in Amsterdam during Canal Pride. Only an astute observer might notice the underlying irony: these couples are not recognized as family in the United States and are strangers in the eyes of the law for immigration purposes. Unless the Dutch partner has a green card or is a US citizen, the wedding may even signal US immigration authorities to deny him entry the next time he travels to the USA....
Support UAFA No One Should Have To Choose Between a Partner and their home
Posted by
Fight4theRight 1031 days ago
(http://wamarriage.org)
If Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation should move in this Congress, please press for UAFA – and thus our families – to be included in it. Comprehensive Immigration Reform will not be comprehensive unless all families are part ...
Tips to help you write your letter:
– State why you are writing, who you are and why UAFA matters to you.
– Provide more detail. Tell your story from the heart and support it with the
necessary facts. Provide specific, rather than general, information about
how the unfair immigration laws affect you personally.
– Close by requesting the action you want taken: cosponsorship of UAFA.
Tips to help you write your letter:
– State why you are writing, who you are and why UAFA matters to you.
– Provide more detail. Tell your story from the heart and support it with the
necessary facts. Provide specific, rather than general, information about
how the unfair immigration laws affect you personally.
– Close by requesting the action you want taken: cosponsorship of UAFA.
At a recent chapter meeting the Flat Rock/Hendersonville PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) decided to speak out for marriage equality for all people. There are over 1,100 rights, benefits and responsibilities conferred on married couples by the federal government including access to health care, parenting and immigration rights, social security, veterans and survivor benefits, and transfer of property -- and that doesn't include state and local law, and employers, or the intangible security, dignity, and meaning that comes with marriage.
These federal rights are denied gays and lesbians who are in committed relationships.
Ending the exclusion of gay people from marriage would not change the "definition" of marriage, but it would remove a discriminatory barrier from the path of people who have made a personal commitment to each other and
These federal rights are denied gays and lesbians who are in committed relationships.
Ending the exclusion of gay people from marriage would not change the "definition" of marriage, but it would remove a discriminatory barrier from the path of people who have made a personal commitment to each other and
Best LGBT Blogs (The Lesbian and Gay Foundation)
Posted by
BinatUK 1067 days ago
(http://www.lgf.org.uk)
This blog deals largely with American and Canadian immigration and centres around questions of keeping LGBT families and spouses together. The blog has been calling on users to lobby their Members of Congress to cosponsor The Reuniting Families Act - this landmark bill addressing many of the obstacles families face as they struggle to navigate the U.S. immigration system and stay together, it marks the first time gay families have been part of a larger immigration reform bill.
LGF online have scoured the internet to bring you the most informative, entertaining and inspiring blogs from around the world.
The blogs we've chosen cover diverse issues from all sides of the LGBT equation. There's blogs from gay parents, gay conservatives, gay activists, young people coming out, older people coming out, and gay asylum seekers to name but a few.
LGF online have scoured the internet to bring you the most informative, entertaining and inspiring blogs from around the world.
The blogs we've chosen cover diverse issues from all sides of the LGBT equation. There's blogs from gay parents, gay conservatives, gay activists, young people coming out, older people coming out, and gay asylum seekers to name but a few.
Although certain states have taken the progressive step towards granting marriage rights to gay couples, the impact on immigration laws has been zilch. Currently, same sex partners, whether legally married under foreign laws or under the laws of certain U.S. states, are not receiving any immigration benefits as immigration law, along with a few other legal practice areas, is governed entirely by federal statute as opposed to state specific legal rules. Immigration law is controlled by a number of federal regulations such as the Code of Federal Regulations and the Immigration and Nationality Act.
In an unprecedented step towards furthering the fight for equality, Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat from Vermont, introduced a new bill, the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), on June 2, 2009. The UAFA aims to allow U.S. Citizens (USC’s) and legal permanent immigrants (LPR’s) to
In an unprecedented step towards furthering the fight for equality, Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat from Vermont, introduced a new bill, the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), on June 2, 2009. The UAFA aims to allow U.S. Citizens (USC’s) and legal permanent immigrants (LPR’s) to
Gays push for partner immigration rights (Chronicle)
Posted by
USABound 1081 days ago
(http://www.sfgate.com)
As Congress and immigrant advocacy groups gear up for the annual tussle over comprehensive immigration reform, a proposal by San Jose Rep. Mike Honda is opening up a new angle on the debate - one that some groups warn could overshadow years of effort at building consensus.
Honda's Reuniting Families Act, introduced Thursday, would extend to "permanent partners" the same naturalization rights accorded to spouses under the bill, allowing gay and lesbian Americans to seek legal residency for their immigrant same-sex partners.
"How do you define 'all families'? Traditional heterosexual families but also permanent partners, recognized as having a legitimate long-term relationship," Honda, a Democrat, said this week. "It's a civil rights issue. The idea of being on the outside looking in is something we're familiar with, it's un-American. ... I want to make sure we d
Honda's Reuniting Families Act, introduced Thursday, would extend to "permanent partners" the same naturalization rights accorded to spouses under the bill, allowing gay and lesbian Americans to seek legal residency for their immigrant same-sex partners.
"How do you define 'all families'? Traditional heterosexual families but also permanent partners, recognized as having a legitimate long-term relationship," Honda, a Democrat, said this week. "It's a civil rights issue. The idea of being on the outside looking in is something we're familiar with, it's un-American. ... I want to make sure we d
Lown and partner facing long wait
Posted by
USAFrance 1083 days ago
(http://www.gosanangelo.com)
Former San Angelo mayor Joseph W. Lown is prepared to stay in Mexico while his partner seeks a visa to come to the United States.Lown is likely facing a long stay.
“Generally speaking, based on what I know, I see no avenue for legal re-immigration anytime soon,” He has heard the odds could be insurmountable.
The two are looking for an immigration lawyer, Lown said.
Armendáriz said they should have contacted an immigration lawyer before leaving the country. They may have made the situation worse by leaving, he said. Immigration law is one of the most complicated areas of law and case-specific, Armendáriz said. But the facts in this case suggest Lown’s wait will be long.
There is a 10-year inadmissibility “bar” for people who have been here without permission for longer than one year, then seek admission or re-admission. There is a waiver for t
“Generally speaking, based on what I know, I see no avenue for legal re-immigration anytime soon,” He has heard the odds could be insurmountable.
The two are looking for an immigration lawyer, Lown said.
Armendáriz said they should have contacted an immigration lawyer before leaving the country. They may have made the situation worse by leaving, he said. Immigration law is one of the most complicated areas of law and case-specific, Armendáriz said. But the facts in this case suggest Lown’s wait will be long.
There is a 10-year inadmissibility “bar” for people who have been here without permission for longer than one year, then seek admission or re-admission. There is a waiver for t
Gays push for partner immigration rights
Posted by
USABound 1084 days ago
(http://www.sfgate.com)
As Congress and immigrant advocacy groups gear up for the annual tussle over comprehensive immigration reform, a proposal by San Jose Rep. Mike Honda is opening up a new angle on the debate - one that some groups warn could overshadow years of effort at building consensus.
Honda's Reuniting Families Act, introduced Thursday, would extend to "permanent partners" the same naturalization rights accorded to spouses under the bill, allowing gay and lesbian Americans to seek legal residency for their immigrant same-sex partners.
"How do you define 'all families'? Traditional heterosexual families but also permanent partners, recognized as having a legitimate long-term relationship," Honda, a Democrat, said this week. "It's a civil rights issue. The idea of being on the outside looking in is something we're familiar with, it's un-American. ... I want to make sure we d
Honda's Reuniting Families Act, introduced Thursday, would extend to "permanent partners" the same naturalization rights accorded to spouses under the bill, allowing gay and lesbian Americans to seek legal residency for their immigrant same-sex partners.
"How do you define 'all families'? Traditional heterosexual families but also permanent partners, recognized as having a legitimate long-term relationship," Honda, a Democrat, said this week. "It's a civil rights issue. The idea of being on the outside looking in is something we're familiar with, it's un-American. ... I want to make sure we d
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
Statement about Gay Partner Immigration Dooming Immigration Reform
Posted by
OurHero-Tan 1084 days ago
(http://www.dreamactivist.org)
Given the experiences of a second-class queer citizenship, what should constitute gay immigration politics is an inclusive effort to recognize citizenship as a violent construct that must not be denied to those who seek it. ... We predicted this rift over two months ago, knowing quite well that some so-called pro-family supporters of immigration unity will not swallow the idea of ‘comprehensive reforms:’
Advocates for gays and immigrants are clashing over a proposed immigration bill that would let gay and lesbian Americans sponsor their immigrant “permanent partners” for legal U.S. residency.
The chasm inside the immigrant rights community has led the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — a major partner in the drive for expanded immigrant rights — to withdraw its support from a House bill to be filed Thursday that would speed up reunification of immi
Advocates for gays and immigrants are clashing over a proposed immigration bill that would let gay and lesbian Americans sponsor their immigrant “permanent partners” for legal U.S. residency.
The chasm inside the immigrant rights community has led the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — a major partner in the drive for expanded immigrant rights — to withdraw its support from a House bill to be filed Thursday that would speed up reunification of immi
UAFA Would Keep Shirley Tan with her Partner and Kids (Race and Politics)
Posted by
uluckidog 1084 days ago
(http://www.racewire.org)
What struck me about the video was not simply Tan’s courage in speaking as an immigrant woman of color, a loving partner to her life companion, and a devoted parent to her two sons; but to witness the vulnerability of her 12 year old son, who silently wept as his mother spoke…
…Which leads me to the ‘hater’ part. While the hearing took place, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), ranking minority member of the Committee and the only Republican to attend the hearing but publicly opposed to UAFA, watched the boy weep and commented to his aide, “Enough with the histrionics.”
WTF?!? Sessions had the audacity to call this boy’s emotional torture of having to listen to the possibility of his family being torn apart from harmful, discriminatory immigration policy and practices as insincere theatrics??? I guess Sessions’ defense of torture easily carries over to his apparent disd
…Which leads me to the ‘hater’ part. While the hearing took place, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), ranking minority member of the Committee and the only Republican to attend the hearing but publicly opposed to UAFA, watched the boy weep and commented to his aide, “Enough with the histrionics.”
WTF?!? Sessions had the audacity to call this boy’s emotional torture of having to listen to the possibility of his family being torn apart from harmful, discriminatory immigration policy and practices as insincere theatrics??? I guess Sessions’ defense of torture easily carries over to his apparent disd
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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.