Where Are We With DOMA and the UAFA?

Let's start with the Uniting American Families Act.  Sadly, it looks like we just don't have enough clout to get Lamar Smith to release it from being held hostage in the House Judiciary Committee.

The Uniting American Families Act would give bi-national same sex couples the ability to sponsor their partners/spouses.  I do not believe that most of Congress, or even the President of the United States actually knows what it takes to immigrate to the United States.  Their ignorance and their lack of desire to educate or research shows how little they really care about bi-national same sex couples.  In my correspondence to Congress, I have been told that I shouldn't expect to be put ahead in the line for immigration.  I have heard the President say that we need to wait our turn.  What they don't seem to realize is that there is no line for bi-national same sex couples in which to stand.  There is no legal way for our spouses to immigrate.  We are pleading for Congress to understand this.  In trying to explain this to some of the Congress people, I have been told basically that it is because homosexuals are not part of the nuclear family.  I struggle to understand how anyone can tell me, an American Citizen, who I can or cannot love.  I struggle to understand how Congress can tell me that who I love is less important; is less than who the straight people love. This page on Lawyers.com is very informative. For even more information the Immigration Equality Action Fund is an excellent resource.

We need to get this horrible, cruel, and torturous behavior changed.  We need to pass the Uniting American Families Act.

Now onto the ironically named "Defense of Marriage Act" which  defines marriage as between one man and one woman.  There are bills in Congress to right this horrible wrong being done to the lesbian and gay couples called the Respect for Marriage Act.  The wonderful Honorable Senator Diane Fienstien was recently interviewed on MSNBC and stated that although she did not feel that they have the votes to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, she would be in this for the long haul.  This is small comfort for those of us who are waiting for the above Uniting American Families Act to pass.

 Congress refuses to listen to the

 1.  Majority of Americans who say that they are for Marriage Equality.

Congress refuses to listen to

2.  Civil Rights Leaders including:

Civil Rights leader and NAACP Chairman Emeritus Julian Bond

Civil Rights Leader Dolores Huerta

Civil Rights leader Julian Bond 

Congress refuses to listen to

3.  Seventy organizations filed an Amicus Brief on behalf of repealing DOMA.  Read the Entire Brief Here.   The amicus curiae brief, filed November 3, 2011, supports the Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management case challenging the denial of federal rights and benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

With all of this support for Marriage Equality, why in the world does Congress continue to support the evil, discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. It is my hope that the courts will declare DOMA dead and federal marriage equality will then exist. The fight will continue for the states to pass Marriage equality for all. We are Americans. We deserve the same as all Americans...the ability, the right to be with the one that we love.