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Sen. John Kerry has asked the Obama administration to grant asylum to a gay man who was forced to return to Brazil after he married a U.S. citizen in Massachusetts.
Kerry seeks asylum for gay man married in Mass.The Associated PressBOSTON (AP) — Sen. John Kerry has asked the Obama administration to grant asylum to a gay man who was forced to return to Brazil after he married a US citizen in Massachusetts. Genesio "Junior" Oliveira has been separated from his husband, Tim Coco, ...
Sen. John Kerry has asked the Obama administration to grant asylum to a gay man who was forced to return to Brazil after he married a U.S. citizen in Massachusetts.
Tim Coco, right, sits in his Haverhill, Mass. office Friday, March 20, 2009 as he speaks to his husband, Genesio 'Junior' Januario Oliveira Jr.
Boston GlobeKerry seeks asylum for gay man married in Mass.The Associated PressThe 2000 census found at least 36000 gay and lesbian couples in the United States in which one partner was a citizen and one was an immigrant, said Rachel Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality, which advocates for gay and lesbian immigrants ...Kerry Asks Attorney General to Reunite Gay Couple Lez Get RealSenator Kerry Wants Asylum For Married Gay Man On Top Magazineall 274 news articles
In a letter sent Thursday to Attorney General Eric Holder, Kerry said Immigration Judge Francis Cramer found Oliveira's testimony to be credible and his fear of living in Brazil genuine. However the judge denied the claim, saying the man "was never physically harmed" by the rape, the letter said.

Kerry called the ruling "outrageous."

"Tim and Junior have played by the rules since day one," Kerry said. "Junior's asylum claim is a legitimate one and has been recognized as such."

While Brazilians are generally more tolerant of homosexual conduct than their neighbors in Spanish-speaking Latin America, the country remains something of a paradox.

Judges have granted foreign partners in gay relationships the right to residence and have authorized civil unions that bestow many of the same benefits of marriage to gay couples, but many segments of society remain openly hostile to homo
"Their relationship isn't being treated equally, and at the end of the day, hardworking American citizens who play by the rules are forced to choose between their country and the people they love," Tiven said.

Kerry has co-sponsored a bill that would allow gays and lesbians from other countries to become legal residents based on their permanent relationships with U.S. citizens in the same manner as heterosexual couples.

Coco said he and Oliveira would eventually do whatever it takes to be together.

"We will be, even if it does mean I leave the U.S., but we're hoping that will not be the only option," he said.
Sen. John Kerry has asked the Obama administration to grant asylum to a gay man who was forced to return to Brazil after he married a U.S. citizen in Massachusetts.

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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.