United States of America: Citizens Rights Denied!

Why should it matter to Republicans and Democrats alike? Why should Congress care if they pass the Uniting American Families Act? I can answer this with one sentence:

We are citizens of the United States of America, we should have and deserve the same rights as all citizens of the United States of America.

That should be and really is the bottom line. People have all kinds of reasons to disagree with why I should be able to sponsor my same sex spouse for immigration, but what they are saying is that as a lesbian citizen of the United States, I do not deserve the same rights as heterosexual citizens of the United States.

They can put all kinds of pretty words, Bible verses, morality, and bias to their argument. I can do the same for my side, with Bible verses, morality and equality to my argument, but it all boils down, it all comes down to, the bottom line is:

As a lesbian citizen of the United States, I do not deserve the same rights as heterosexual citizens of the United States.

Is that what you believe? Do you believe that a group of people are less because of whom they love? I do not agree with that stance. I believe that as American Citizens all should have the right to live with whom they want to live; love whom they want to love and sponsor their spouse for immigration....as all citizens of the United States do. Let's try this exercise:

1. As a Christian, I believe I should be able to sponsor my spouse for immigration.

2. As a citizen of the United States, I believe I should be able to sponsor my spouse for immigration.

3. As a woman I should be able to sponsor my spouse for immigration.

4. As a lesbian United States Citizen, I should be able to sponsor my spouse for immigration.

A Gallup poll shows that the majority of Americans support same sex marriage. Most people do not know that couples are cruelly being separated by immigration law. That is because such discrimination is something that they didn't realize was actually happening in these United States. What is your stance on the rights of ALL citizens of the United States of America?

Binational Same Sex Couples: The Minority of a Minority

Why Passing the Uniting American Families Act

and Repealing DOMA is Urgent

 

The Census in the year 2000 said that binational same sex couples numbered approximately 36,000.  In the 2010 Census, we have yet to receive a number, however rumor has it that it was not counted or divided to give an accurate number.  With the onset of online dating, Skype, chat rooms, and other various ways our lives our touched by technology, I believe that number to be at least tripled.  However, all in all, we are a small group of gays and lesbians who have fallen in love with someone who is not an American Citizen.  If we were heterosexual, we could apply for a green card for our spouses and it would be immediately granted with little fanfare.  Because the people with whom we have fallen in love are of the same sex, there is little to no options for our spouses to immigrate.  Our options include the following:

1.  Our foreign born spouse can get a job here in the United States.  Unfortunately, it has to be a specialized job that no American citizen is able to do or wants to do.

2.  College.  Paying out of state fees.  However, one can only afford that for so long and there are only so many degrees that a person can earn.

3.  Be unusually talented.  By that I mean a Celine Dion or a Sammy Sosa type talent. 

Those are the legal options we have for immigration.  If our spouses do not or cannot fall into any of these categories, our options are really limited:

1.  Move to the spouses country if they are gay friendly.

2.  Move to a third country if able

3.  Live apart and on visits from time to time

4.  Live in the United States as a non-person "under the wire"

While Marriage Equality is so very important and absolutely needs to get done, those who live with their partners can go home at night and be held by their spouse/partner.  Bi-national same sex couples live visit to visit...often going a year or so before being able to hold their loved one.  I am asking everyone to please take action to get the Uniting American Families Act brought up for some sort of vote.  Right now, Lamar Smith, chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the House, has no intentions of bringing anything like it up for a vote.  He needs to be contacted daily.  We need to make the Uniting American Families Act something that Congress hears each and every day.

Tonight when you go to bed and you reach out and touch your loved one, know that thousands of bi-national gay and lesbian people are alone and not able to hold their loved one.  We just want a chance to live our lives with the person with whom we love, to live and love and just be and be legal.   Know that we are a small group, but we are part of a larger group and we are Americans asking for our right to live with our love. We ask for your help in getting the necessary legislation brought forward. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and Still We Wait......The History of the Uniting American Families Act

In the year 2000, the Permanent Partners Immigration Act was introduced into the 106th Congress by Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY). It had 59 cosponsors. It died in House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.........and still we wait.




It was re-introduced into the 107th, 108th and 109th Congress by Representative Nadler and again buried in subcommittee.....and still we wait




There are currently 19 countries with gay immigration policies that allow sponsorship of same-sex partners. These countries include:

Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Denmark
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Israel
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom


.........................and still we wait


In the 108th Congress, the Senate finally got involved and it was introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and re-introduced into the House by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). By this time the bill in the House of Representatives had 129 cosponsors yet both bills died by being buried in sub committee.



The 109th and the 110th Congress saw huge increases in co-sponsorship for these bills, but again, it was buried in subcommittee...............and still we wait



During the 111th Congress, the bills came out on February 12th with 135 cosponsers in the House and 25 in the Senate. They both died in their respective Judiciary Committees.
Represenitive Michael Honda saw the huge injustice being done to US citizens, and tried again with HR 2709. This bill was introduced on June 4th and again died in committee.


.....................and still we wait

The bills have yet to be introduced to the 112th Congress.............and still we wait

Some wait in exile in different countries waiting for the day when they can return with their spouses to their home. Some wait separated from their loved ones unable to join them for different reasons. Some wait here in the United States illegally and live in fear that they will soon be forced apart.

We have been told that the borders need to be secured, yet, experts agree, that passing the Uniting American Families Act would help secure the borders.

We have been told that we need to deal with the economy first. Again experts agree that by passing the Uniting American Families Act, the economy would be helped and billions would flow into our economy.

http://binationalcouples.blogspot.com/2011/02/economic-case-for-inclusive-immigration.html

How can the great, freedom loving, justice for all United States of American allow this grave injustice to be done to it's citizens? How is this good for our country? How is this liberty and justice for all American citizens? It is not.

We have been waiting for years. The Congress has had plenty of time for debate. Let's bring this to the floor of Congress, let's get this passed. The time of waiting needs to end. There is no need to deny us the basic right of being able to be with the one we love because we are different.

Please, Pass the Uniting American Families Act!!

.................and still we wait