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Loading ...Senate to convene first-ever hearing on gay immigration equality
06.02.2009 12:42pm EDT
(Washington, DC) On Wednesday morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold the first-ever Congressional hearing on obstacles faced by lesbian and gay couples under U.S. immigration law.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the committee, has scheduled a 10 a.m. hearing on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). The bill, sponsored by Leahy in the Senate and Congressman Jerold Nadler (D-NY) in the House, would modify immigration policy to end discrimination against lesbian and gay Americans who want to sponsor their permanent partners for residency in the United States.Such couples are often separated, or torn apart, because current U.S. law does not allow for the same sponsorship rights for lesbian and gay citizens as for heterosexuals.
“Every day, an estimated 36,000 binational couples, nearly half of whom are raising children, are facing separation, or already living separately, because our country refuses to treat them equally under the law,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality. “These loving, committed families are faced with an untenable choice between the person they love and the country they love. Many are forced to uproot their lives and leave their extended families, jobs and communities behind. It is long past time that Congress fixed our broken immigration system, including this pervasive discrimination against so many families. Senator Leahy’s hearing, coming just as President Obama and Congress prepare to address comprehensive immigration reform, is a step in the right direction.”
Wednesday’s hearing will feature Shirley Tan, a Filipina mother of 12-year-old twins from Pacifica, Calif., who is facing deportation despite having been with her partner for 23 years. Though Tan’s children and partner are American citizens, she cannot be sponsored for residency because her partner is female. Unless Congress takes action to pass UAFA, Tan will be forced to return to the Philippines.
Joining Tan as a witness will also be Gordon Stewart, a native of Vermont who was forced to sell his family’s farm and relocate to London to be with his partner, who is Brazilian. Stewart, who transferred his job with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals to the United Kingdom, has been welcomed in that country, where his partner received a visa to be with him. Under U.S. immigration law, his partner was unable to join him in the United States, and Stewart was forced to leave his family behind to be with the person he loves.
Other witnesses include Julian Bond, chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and attorney Christopher Nugent, who will represent the American Bar Association (ABA).
“The cost of discriminating against lesbian and gay families is staggering and personal,” Tiven said. “Children are being separated from their mothers. Companies are forced to relocate employees or lose their talent altogether. In many cases, Americans must live on separate continents, thousands of miles from their immediate and extended families. All the while, this blatant discrimination could be fixed, and families could be brought together, simply by passing UAFA.”
President Obama has said he supports the legislation. In a statement issued in March, the White House noted, “The president thinks Americans with partners from other countries should not be faced with a painful choice between staying with their partner or staying in their country. We will work closely with Congress to craft comprehensive immigration reform legislation.”
“No reform can be truly called comprehensive,” Tiven said, “unless it includes our families, too.”
Fi·nal·ly!
This is a step in the right direction.
Hopefully this bill will pass soon!
Oh how I hope this passes, and soon. I myself am in this situation.
I’ve been involved in a binational long distnace relationship for nearly 3 years and counting! I want nothing more than to have the love of my life right where he belongs…by my side.
I hope UAFA works.
UAFA MUST SUCCEED! Call/write your Senators TODAY!!!
As an American who grew up overseas, I am not uncomfortable living away from the US – I have worked and studied on four continents, and currently live in Quebec. The thought of becoming a citizen and permanent resident of another country has been percolating for decades, and I seem to be leaning toward finally doing so here in Montreal. As long as I can keep my US passport, I’d do just fine as a permanent expat or dual citizen. My extended family in the US, with whom I am very close, is used to me living far away – making the time we spend together all the more enjoyable.
So in this instance, I’m one of the lucky ones…
Given my background and career, I knew it was highly possible that I might fall in love with a foreigner. So I set my sights on leaving the US before I’d have to confront the fact that I could never offer a potential spouse the opportunity to join me in my homeland.
I’m certainly not going to hold my breath on this one, but I’ve got to say that I’m pleasantly surprised to see the Congress even talking about it. Pleasantly surprised and shocked as hell, actually.
Given the sad state of affairs concerning GLBTQAIs at the federal level, I doubt there will be any favorable changes to US immigrations law at this time. Imagine the NOM ads: “The Gathering Storm” will become the “Hurricane of Gays” blowing in from all over the world, polluting our children. The rabid right will not only see this as an attack on marriage, but a national security threat (because gays are likelier to fall in love with Al Qaida terrorists – or something like that). If American gays are an easy target, foreign gays are even easier.
But at least they’re going to talk about it. That’s a step in the right direction – especially if it results in our opponents saying incredibly stupid things that will be recorded for generations to come.
i pray that the LGBT community get the rights it deserves, gay immigration equality must be made into law in order to bring families together again like i said this is not a state problem its a nations issue that demands attention !!!
I hope the hearing goes well and they get this bill moving, we want to move back home! Living exiled in another country separated from your friends, family, and career and is just wrong. US immigration laws tear families apart and destroy lives. The estimated 36,000 same sex couples they referred to does not include people like my partner and I living exiled in a foreign country. We moved to France 3 years ago and basically lost the life we had spent 14 years building in Los Angeles. Please write you Senators and Congressman and ask them to co-sponsor the Uniting American Families Act.
Thank you.
DOMA must be repealed before this bill gets passed. The lawmakers know this. I hope they are not pulling any stunts to keep our anger contained. I’m tired of false hope.
About time American caught up with the rest of the civilized world. Virtually all of western Europe (UK included), Canada, Australia, New Zealand have allowed same sex couples to enjoy this right. Lets hope it comes to fruition,long overdue.
The Christian Taliban will be fighting against this because “under god’s eyes” we don’t count. And if “their” god doesn’t approve of us nothing else matters. You think I’m kidding? Find a bible banger and ask them. I was told by one that what they believe isn’t bigory because “it is god’s word.”
My boyfriend is brasilian and he is here with me in NYC. He has not been home in over 3 years and I know he’s homesick and we can’t do anything about it at least until his greencard arrives.
When I read about this legislaiton, my eyes well up immediately. It would save so much time, money and tension to have this pass.
It can’t happen fast enough.
Good thing. Put an end to this mess.