A Brazilian man was reunited with his American husband this week after a U.S. senator pressed federal officials to temporarily allow the gay man back into the country on humanitarian grounds.
Nearly three years ago, the couple split when Oliveira was forced to return to Brazil after being denied permanent residency in the U.S. because the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages.
The pair maintained contact through online video chats and sporadic visits during holidays.
The case gained international attention from gay rights and immigrant advocates who criticized U.S. officials for separating the couple even though they were legally married.
Search results for senator, jeff, sessions, words
US senator help Brazilian man reunite with his American husband
Posted by
USABound 705 days ago
(http://www.canadaeast.com)
Senator Arlen Specter signs support for Uniting American Families Act
Posted by
USAFrance 901 days ago
(http://lezgetreal.com)
There has been a recent bevy of co-sponsors signing onto the Uniting American Families Act, the legislation that seeks to provide Lesbian and Gay Americans with the right to Petition for their same-sex spouses/ partners to live in the USA. This law merely seeks to place the words “permanent partners” into the existing Immigration and Naturalization Act. This is no time to let up, but rather imprtant that we make the most of the momentum. I have 14 couples I am trying to help remain together in the US. That is a tip of the iceberg. They are all desperate. They want to stay together and they want to stay at home. We need UAFA legialstion and awareness of the binational issue more so than ever. Please I am asking for your help.
..
Today the news was immense when Senator Arlen Specter sign his support to the Bill. In June this year the Senator attended and spoke at
..
Today the news was immense when Senator Arlen Specter sign his support to the Bill. In June this year the Senator attended and spoke at
Senator Kerry Supports NEW DOMA Lawsuit
Posted by
freedom2immigrate 931 days ago
(http://www.ontopmag.com)
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry says he supports a new lawsuit against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Tim Coco and Genesio “Junior” Oliveira, a binational gay couple, announced Monday they would challenge the 13-year-old law that bans the federal government from recognizing the marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
Oliveira, 30, returned to his native Brazil in 2007 after an immigration judged denied his request for asylum. He sought asylum in the U.S. in 2002 because he said he was raped as a teenager. In March, Senator Kerry sent a letter asking for intervention in the matter to Attorney General Eric Holder. On Friday, Coco told the AP that the deadline for Holder to act had passed without action from the administration, effectively supporting Oliveira's denial of asylum and keeping the men apart.
Tim Coco and Genesio “Junior” Oliveira, a binational gay couple, announced Monday they would challenge the 13-year-old law that bans the federal government from recognizing the marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
Oliveira, 30, returned to his native Brazil in 2007 after an immigration judged denied his request for asylum. He sought asylum in the U.S. in 2002 because he said he was raped as a teenager. In March, Senator Kerry sent a letter asking for intervention in the matter to Attorney General Eric Holder. On Friday, Coco told the AP that the deadline for Holder to act had passed without action from the administration, effectively supporting Oliveira's denial of asylum and keeping the men apart.
This may be interpreted to confirm that CIR will in fact include UAFA, when introduced by Senator Schumer. However in August of 2009, when I asked Julie Kruse of Immigration Equality why would we be concerned that an overt champion of UAFA and LGBT issues such as Schumer would fail to include LGBT in CIR, she cautioned that there was no guarantee that Senator Schumer would in fact include UAFA. However it would seem that Senator Gillibrand may now be providing some valuable insight as to what we can expect. ...
The Senator emphasized the importance of Senator Schumer introducing Immigration reform legislation by year’s end; and the fact that it is imperative that the legislation passes by Spring 2010, the latter in her estimation possibly being a last opportunity...
The Senator emphasized the importance of Senator Schumer introducing Immigration reform legislation by year’s end; and the fact that it is imperative that the legislation passes by Spring 2010, the latter in her estimation possibly being a last opportunity...
Feingold is an interesting choice since Wisconsin will have a limited domestic partnership law in place by October, but his constituents won't be able to benefit from the DOMA Repeal as it will only recognize marriage, but not civil union/domestic partnership. So I don't know how enthusiatic he'd be in pushing a DOMA repeal. Granted, it may allow people living in states where gay marriage is not legal to get married in states where it is and enjoy federal benefits.
Now, if it doesn't pass in this session (2009), I don't see how it can get picked up by the next session, where midterm election will be on everyone's mind and controversial topics are avoided at all costs.
But we should take comfort in the fact that progress is happening, albeit at a much lower pace than we'd like. That's the political reality....
Now, if it doesn't pass in this session (2009), I don't see how it can get picked up by the next session, where midterm election will be on everyone's mind and controversial topics are avoided at all costs.
But we should take comfort in the fact that progress is happening, albeit at a much lower pace than we'd like. That's the political reality....
Politico notes how times have changed: gay marriage support used to only come from politicians with no hopes of higher office, now it's a way to drum up support for a difficult reelection campaign. You can read Senator Dodd's letter here.
HRC reports: Senator Dodd also let us know that he was committed to ensuring that federal rights were portable, so that a same-sex couple married in Connecticut would receive the federal benefits of marriage even if they relocated to a state without marriage equality.
This confirms what the Advocate reported back in April. They listed Dodd as one of the several congressional leaders working on a partial DOMA repeal. We can only hope "soon" means ...
HRC reports: Senator Dodd also let us know that he was committed to ensuring that federal rights were portable, so that a same-sex couple married in Connecticut would receive the federal benefits of marriage even if they relocated to a state without marriage equality.
This confirms what the Advocate reported back in April. They listed Dodd as one of the several congressional leaders working on a partial DOMA repeal. We can only hope "soon" means ...
Jeff Sessions Annoyed By Crying Child (Politics Daily)
Posted by
USAFrance 1084 days ago
(http://www.politicsdaily.com)
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama was openly disdainful of a12-year-old boy who wept throughout a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week on the Uniting American Families Act, which would give equal citizenship rights to the foreign-born same-sex partners of American citizens. Sessions opposes the bill.
The committee was hearing from Shirley Tan, a Filipino woman who had fled her country after being physically attacked by a man who had killed her mother and sister. Tan and her American partner of 23 years are raising 12-year-old twin sons here, but she was almost deported in April, and has been granted only a temporary reprieve.
As Tan began to speak, one of her sons, who was seated behind her, began to cry, and Sessions, who "leaned towards one of his aides and sighed, "Enough with the histrionics."
Which was a little out there even
The committee was hearing from Shirley Tan, a Filipino woman who had fled her country after being physically attacked by a man who had killed her mother and sister. Tan and her American partner of 23 years are raising 12-year-old twin sons here, but she was almost deported in April, and has been granted only a temporary reprieve.
As Tan began to speak, one of her sons, who was seated behind her, began to cry, and Sessions, who "leaned towards one of his aides and sighed, "Enough with the histrionics."
Which was a little out there even
Jeff Sessions Irked By Crying Child (VIDEO)
Posted by
MikeLA 1084 days ago
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com)
Yesterday the Senate Judiciary Committee had a hearing on the Uniting American Families Act, a bill that will "amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents and to penalize immigration fraud in connection with permanent partnerships." Of course, some of the discrimination that the bill would eliminate would benefit same-sex couples, so, CONTROVERSY!
Senator Jeff Sessions it is more than words Oblogdeeoblogda)
Posted by
OurHero-Tan 1085 days ago
(http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com)
I can only imagine what was going through Jeff Session’s mind at that moment. Here he was surrounded by queers, blacks, liberals, Hispanics, immigrants, democrats – a fate worse than hell; his discomfort evident by his inability to acknowledge or thank anyone...
So Mr. Sessions, I suggest that when you judge and grill Judge Sotomayor in the next weeks, remember your own words that you engraved into your historic record those words that will come back to haunt you over and over again, which, unlike Judge Sotomayor’s have no justifiable context.
Senator Ted Kennedy: “Mr. Sessions is a throwback to a shameful era that we thought was in the past. Inconceivable to me that a person of this attitude could be a Judge or even a US attorney. “
So Mr. Sessions, I suggest that when you judge and grill Judge Sotomayor in the next weeks, remember your own words that you engraved into your historic record those words that will come back to haunt you over and over again, which, unlike Judge Sotomayor’s have no justifiable context.
Senator Ted Kennedy: “Mr. Sessions is a throwback to a shameful era that we thought was in the past. Inconceivable to me that a person of this attitude could be a Judge or even a US attorney. “
Jeff Sessions Annoyed By Crying Child At Hearing (The Huffington Post)
Posted by
MikeLA 1085 days ago
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com)
Heterosexual Americans can earn citizenship for their foreign partners by marrying them. Gays, obviously, cannot do that, effectively making a gay American and his or her foreign spouse legal strangers.
For most people, the sight of a 12-year-old boy in tears at the prospect of his mother being deported halfway around the world would invoke some sympathy. Unmoved, however, was Alabama Republican Jeff Sessions, ranking minority member of the Committee and the only Republican to bother to attend the hearing. At the sight of the weeping boy, according to a Senate staffer who was at the hearing, Sessions leaned towards one of his aides and sighed, "Enough with the histrionics." Sessions's press secretary did not return a call seeking comment.
For most people, the sight of a 12-year-old boy in tears at the prospect of his mother being deported halfway around the world would invoke some sympathy. Unmoved, however, was Alabama Republican Jeff Sessions, ranking minority member of the Committee and the only Republican to bother to attend the hearing. At the sight of the weeping boy, according to a Senate staffer who was at the hearing, Sessions leaned towards one of his aides and sighed, "Enough with the histrionics." Sessions's press secretary did not return a call seeking comment.
So said Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) according to a staffer when one of Shirley Tan’s sons broke into tears as his mother testified at the UAFA hearings in Washington yesterday. In the clip below, Senator Patrick Leahy stops the hearing briefly near the 5 minute mark as Tan’s son weeps.
When it was his turn to speak, Sessions cited the usual arguments and suspects in his remarks, his opposition to same-sex marriage in full view of the hearing. His remarks can be viewed here.
When it was his turn to speak, Sessions cited the usual arguments and suspects in his remarks, his opposition to same-sex marriage in full view of the hearing. His remarks can be viewed here.
Exclusive Jeff Sessions Makes Children Cry
Posted by
uluckidog 1086 days ago
(http://blogs.tnr.com)
Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committe held the first-ever hearing on the Uniting American Families Act, which would equalize the status of foreign-born same-sex partners of American citizens. Heterosexual Americans can earn citizenship for their foreign partners by marrying them. Gays, obviously, cannot do that, effectively making a gay American and his or her foreign spouse legal strangers.
Testifying was Shirley Tan, a Fillipino woman who has been with her American partner for 23 years. Together, they are raising twelve-year-old twin boys. She originally left the Phillipines after suffering a violent attack from a man who murdered her mother and sister (one of the reasons why Tan does not want to return to her native country, aside from the fact that her partner and children live in the U.S., is that the man who brutalized her has since been released from prison.) Tan was origin
Testifying was Shirley Tan, a Fillipino woman who has been with her American partner for 23 years. Together, they are raising twelve-year-old twin boys. She originally left the Phillipines after suffering a violent attack from a man who murdered her mother and sister (one of the reasons why Tan does not want to return to her native country, aside from the fact that her partner and children live in the U.S., is that the man who brutalized her has since been released from prison.) Tan was origin
Senator Vitter does NOT support the UAFA (Pams House Blend)
Posted by
Fight4theRight 1091 days ago
(http://www.pamshouseblend.com)
While we may not agree on this legislation, I will keep your views in mind as I work to improve our security and reform our immigration system. Once again, thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on this issue. ...
10. 41 AM PDT ; Senator Leahy’s office announced today that there will be a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). Please stay tuned. Scheduled for June 03, 2009 in D.C. I will be travelling to DC to attend.
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing on “The Uniting American Families Act: Addressing Inequality in Federal Immigration Law” for Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. By order of the Chairman
Please inform your representatives about the hearing. Perhaps bi-national couples should flood their Senators with requests that their stories are told or submitted. Act Now. If you need help co
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing on “The Uniting American Families Act: Addressing Inequality in Federal Immigration Law” for Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. By order of the Chairman
Please inform your representatives about the hearing. Perhaps bi-national couples should flood their Senators with requests that their stories are told or submitted. Act Now. If you need help co
Yesterday the Daily News reported that Senator Schumer praised the contribution of immigrants to the United States and stated that immigrants are the reason New York City is the greatest city in the world. He predicted that Congress ...
“How may I assist with these stories, if at all?...”
“My question back to you is how do we get immigration reform defined as a...”
“Watch the actual video on ABC 7's website, and you'll see that he's really...”
“Thanks. I shortened it through tinyurl. Works now....”
“Note from imeQ about this editorial: This is an independent project which...”
Feedburner
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.