To Speaker of the house John Boehner,

April 1st, 2011

Friday, April 01, 2011
To
Speaker of the house John Boehner,
I’m not from your home state, but you are speaker of the house and that makes me one of your constituents since what you do and say affects me and affects me in more ways than one.
Since you are a congressman and speaker of the house you should believe in the bill of rights and the Constitution, and the separation of state and church the grounds that this country was formed. But it seems like you and the hard line republicans and Tea party have forgotten about it. I want you to know that I’m a native born American, my father fought in WW2, my grandfather fought in WW1, and both my great grandparents fought in wars to make this country what it is today. They would be turning over in their graves if they know that the government they fought so hard for to keep this country free and I could choose how I wanted to lead my life and who I wanted to marry and can’t.

I’m a gay man, and yes I’m married, and I’m married to a foreigner. We had to get married in Canada because of the unconstitutional law called the Defensive marriage act. I’d like to know how you can give one group of American citizens some rights and not others. Isn’t that Unconstitutional? I would like an answer to that question. If you say the Bible that’s not an answer, separation of state and church, also not everyone believes in your good book forcing your religious views on someone isn’t the American way.
Right now there are 23 other countries that give there gay citizens full equal rights when it comes to gay marriage some countries might call it civil unions with the same full rights as straight couples. Counties like Canada to our north, England, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Nepal, Argentina, to say a few. Why is it a country that screams equal rights to other countries will not give it to their own citizens? Why did I have to go to Canada to get married and why can’t I sponsor him into this country just like straight people. For me to see my life partner my husband (10 year relationship) I have to travel to Canada to see him when all you have to do is look across the bed or dinner table? I’m one of the lucky few that there life partners or husbands or wife’s can go from this country to Canada but there are lots of other couples that have to travel half way around the world. Because of this bad law DMA you are making so many American citizens suffer for an unconstitutional law?? Is that the republican way?

I’d like to know why you will not support the Uniting American families act. Why? I’d also like to know why you are fighting to keep the Defensive marriage act? You know as well as everyone else that this law is going to fall in the court system. You say that you want to save the American tax payer money but spending millions of dollars to defend an unconstitutional law doesn’t seem right. Is this the republican way making Americans suffer and spending millions of dollars to hurt people?

I hope that you don’t want to go down in American history as George Wallace, or groups like the John Birch Society, or the KKK, and Hitler but that’s how American history is going to record people that don’t support full equal rights for all the American people not just half.

Just to let you know this letter to you is going to be posted on US Immigration woes, also the tea party forums along with the coffee party forums. I’m also going to be posting this on face book, along with sending this to the white house, congressman peter king, and a few e-mail groups.
I would like an answer to my questions?
Why do you support an unconditional law spending millions of dollars? Defensive marriage act
Why does the Republican Party hate gay people so much for?
Why will you not support the uniting American families act?

Thank you an American citizen
Roy B

you to can write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bi-National Lesbian Couple Can Press US Marriage Claim

March 23rd, 2011

Bi-National Lesbian Couple Can Press US Marriage Claim

BY PAUL SCHINDLER
Gay city news

In what Gay City News describes as the first decision of its kind, a Manhattan immigration judge has suspended the deportation of an Argentine lesbian because she and her partner are legally married in Connecticut. Paul Schindler reports:
Monica Alcota, 35, who came to the US a decade ago, married her partner of nearly three years, 25-year-old Cristina Ojeda, last August in Connecticut. The couple’s attorneys, Lavi Soloway and Noemi Masliah, argue that their clients’ marital status should qualify Alcota for permanent residency, as would be the case with any different-sex couple. A 2010 US court ruling striking down the Defense of Marriage Act’s denial of federal recognition for legal same-sex marriages, they say –– coupled with the Justice Department’s recent decision that it could not and would not defend DOMA’s constitutionality on that point –– opens up the real possibility that Alcota and Ojeda may be accorded recognition. In a March 22 hearing in the US courthouse at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, Immigration Judge Terry A. Bain gave the couple the go-ahead to press their claim with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) –– a unit of the Department of Homeland Security –– through what is known as Form I-130, a petition to have Alcota recognized as “the spouse of USC.” For now, the couple’s case has been adjourned until December, a decision supported by the government’s attorney.
Attorney Lavi Soloway: “It is almost impossible to overstate the significance of what happened in there. An adjournment based on an I-130. It would never have happened a year ago. Read full story

everyone schould be filing!
Bi-National Lesbian Couple Can Press US Marriage Claim

Join Sen. Feinstein and Courage Campaign to repeal DOMA!

March 16th, 2011

Join Sen. Feinstein and Courage Campaign to repeal DOMA!

SIGN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sen. Feinstein and her colleagues will announce today that they are going to work from the inside to repeal the so called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA). We are going to build a mass movement of equality supporters to work from the outside over the long haul. We aren’t going to wait for the Courts. Speaker Boehner made his move on DOMA, choosing to intervene in the courts. Now, it’s time to make ours.

Sign up for our campaign. Then, ask 5 friends to do so. We don’t take these efforts lightly, and know that we need to build a mass movement that can make calls, write letters, and mobilize your fellow citizens at a moment’s notice if we’re going to win this battle.

We need your help. Sign below and we’ll keep you informed as the campaign proceeds.

A webmasters note, it’s up to us people to get this law taken off the books! You have to call your congressman and senators none stop be herd it’s our time to act up and do something.

Join Sen. Feinstein and Courage Campaign to repeal DOMA!

Gay marriage now 2011

March 6th, 2011

Ok people we have a really good shot at getting gay marriage in this country now, BUT it’s going to take every single gay person to work for it! Every single gay person has to write and call there congressman and there senators and demand gay marriage now! But not just calling or writing once ever single week make it known what you want. We also have to push the HRC make it known to them it’s time is now not next year. I’m legally married to a wonderful guy but we had to get married in Canada, and I’m also in a bi national relationship, so couples like us need gay marriage on the federal level. WRITE! Remember that the Republican stooges like Boehner is going to try their best to stop gay marriage, get off your butts, and do something for once! Write!

HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT

March 4th, 2011

HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT

I wanted you to be among the first to know. Our legal team is planning to file an historic lawsuit on behalf of our families.
Following the Obama Administration’s recent announcement that it believes the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional — and its refusal to defend that law in court — we are preparing to challenge DOMA in federal court, on behalf of families who face separation because of discriminatory immigration laws.
For the first time, the U.S. government has declared that Section 3 of DOMA, which prohibits married LGBT Americans from sponsoring their spouse, is unconstitutional. The end of that law will mean a new beginning for LGBT Americans married to non-citizens. Immigration Equality is seizing this tremendous new opportunity and is bringing litigation to end the discrimination those families face.
Soon, we’ll be announcing the families who will be part of our suit, and the prestigious pro bono partners who will help us fight in court. We are assembling the very best team to wage this battle and to ensure we have the best possible chance at dismantling DOMA. The Justice Department has taken a major step forward in refusing to defend the law. We intend to cross the finish line and end it once and for all.
All of us at Immigration Equality will continue to fight for our families in Congress, too.
While the end of DOMA would help many families, passage of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) remains critically important as well. Many states continue to discriminate against LGBT couples through state-level DOMAs. Families in those states still need a legislative victory so they don’t face separation or exile, too. While our work will expand as part of this new court challenge, our commitment to UAFA — and to ending discrimination for all families as quickly as possible — will not waiver.
This is an immensely significant moment for LGBT families, and Immigration Equality is uniquely positioned to take on this fight. With your help, we will succeed and keep our families together.
Look for more news about our lawsuit soon.
Yours in the fight,

Rachel B. Tiven, Esq.
Executive Director

HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT

People you need to sign this!

February 8th, 2011

Contact Congress–Petition 1–Letter Writing Campaign

Targeting: The U.S. Senate, The U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-08),

The UAFA has been introduced in each Congress since 2000 by its author, Rep. Jerrold Nadler; and since 2003 in the Senate by Senator Patrick Leahy. In this first letter of Out4Immigration’s letter writing campaign of 2011, and of the 112th Congress, we will run this petition for several weeks, asking for the reintroduction of the UAFA

http://www.change.org/petitions/contact_congress–petition_1–letter_writing_campaign

To Peter king Congressman, Please write your congressman

January 1st, 2011

Sir: In this New Year I was wondering if you could be a leader and not a sheep, a stooge in the republican party and finally do something for one of your constituents that happens to be gay and needs either one of four laws to be added or changed so I can live a happy life like you and your wife.
I’m talking about the Uniting American families act, or gay marriage, or the repeal of the defense marriage act section 3, and or immigration reform. I’ve been writing your office asking for help for years in sponsoring my husband into this country and yes we are legally married in Canada and have been in a relationship for over 9 years now, but I never get an answer from your office or a phone call from you!
So can you stop being a stooge of the lame Republican Party and help one of your neighbors? The next time you are in Massapequa I’d like to come into your office and sit down and talk to you how the change in laws would affect me and countless other gay people in your area.
Since you never answer me, I’m going to be posting this to; and maybe someone can get some kind of positive action from you.
US Immigration Woes dot com
Tea Party Forums
Coffee Party Forums
House speaker John Boehner
The white house
Log Cabin republicans
Thank you
Roy B

To Senator Jeff Sessions you can write to!

December 19th, 2010

To US senator Jeff Sessions
Sir:
Let me start off by saying the only reason why I’m calling you sir is you are a US senator and that’s it, outside of you being a senator I have very little respect for you and your views.
Because of your views and what you see is the American way I have to file for a devoice, because of the immigration policy’s of this country and the backward thinking of the republican party and tea party, a relationship of 9 years is almost no more. There is really no way to keep a long distance relationship, Bi-national relationship going. It’s just too much to have to drive 14 hours each way to see my life partner after we lived together here in this country for 5 years, plus next year my life partner will have to leave Canada and be half way around the world, just think if you couldn’t be with your wife and your kids when you wanted to see them you had to pack up your car or get on a plane to visit them.

You have called my life and my marriage a lie and a fraud and I want you to know that it’s not true; my marriage was as strong as yours if not stronger, if things change with the policies of immigration; we plan on getting back together.

I’m talking about what you said about the uniting American families act, and gay couples that are in Bi-national relationships, it’s too bad that I’m over the easy immigration policies of Canada or I would be there now giving up my US citizenship to live in a country that truly believes that their citizens have a right to live and marry who they want to, and where the church and bigots don’t govern their country.

So Senator Sessions when you are opening up your gifts on x-mass Morning with your family know that I’m by myself that I can’t be with the person I’m married to. That there are thousands of gay couples in real relationships that can’t be with their life partner, or their families because of the thinking that you have and other members of the republican party (rethuglicans) and the tea party.

Because I know that you are never going to see this letter that one of your interns is going to throw it away I’m going to be posting it to, Fox news, News day editor, CNN, Tea party forums, coffee party forums, AL dot com, US Immigration woes dot com, The Washington post, Congressman Peter king,
A US Citizen
Roy b

326 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 -0104
Main: (202) 224-4124
Fax: (202) 224-3149

Contact Congress–Week 81–Letter Writing Campaign

November 26th, 2010

Contact Congress–Week 81–Letter Writing Campaign come on people you clicked onto this site to get information and learn, well clikc on the link to help!

This is Week 81 of Out4Immigration’s weekly letter writing campaign. It is our first petition since the election, and here as in coming weeks we will be reaching out to all of our supporters from this Congress. Facing the lame duck session, this petition serves not only as a thank you to the members of Congress who have supported the UAFA and are leaving Congress due to the results of the election, or because of retirement; it is also to encourage those returning supporters of the 111th Congress to continue demonstrating leadership on this issue in the impending 112th. We intend to promote this as our primary petition throughout the duration of the lame duck session, targeting as many lawmakers each week as we can.

It is remarkable that in the 111th Congress we were able to encourage over a quarter of our national elected representatives in Washington to cosponsor the UAFA. Many of these members have been real champions for equality, and we want to applaud their leadership. It is also worth noting that of the Democratic losses in Congress in this recent election, relatively few UAFA supporters were among them. In the coming weeks, we will be reminding returning members of Congress, as well as new ones, that many Americans yearn to see equality for all, that supporting our families not only makes good political sense but is the right thing to do, and to ask them to cosponsor this bill.

Contact Congress–Week 81–Letter Writing Campaign come on people you clicked onto this site to get information and learn, well clikc on the link to help!

The Holidays 2010 anther year gone by

November 24th, 2010

The Holidays 2010 anther year gone by
Here it is the year 2010, another year has come and gone and still we are fighting to bring our loved ones into this country, another year of pain, hurt and suffering, another year of the rethuglicans, the church, the college of bishops, lying to themselves and the American people. Another year that the Republican Party wants to keep on with the hate, wanting to bring the country back to the 1950’s with equal rights.
I’m talking about the American leadership by the names of just a few Sarah Palin, House republican leader John Boehner, Senator Jeff Sessions’s republican, John McCain, Former President Bush.
All have come out against gay marriage, and coming out against gay marriage they have come out against the uniting American families act, they have by saying they are against Immigration reform they have stop the bill that Senator Schumer wrote up, or the Bill that Senator Menendez has ready to go it would add Permanent partnership which would let us sponsor our loved ones, our husbands, our wife’s, into this country.
The republican party the party of no, and the party of hate which has nothing to stand on, only has the hate toward gay people by not giving us taxpaying American citizens our full equal rights because they have forgotten that there is a separation of state and church, that the church doesn’t or shouldn’t run this country and does.
The Republican Party would rather see American citizens in pain, suffering, leaving this country to be with their loved ones in other countries that give there gay citizens there equal rights.
The McCain’s, the Sessions’, the Palin’s, the church don’t care that they are leading the way for bullying of gay youth, hate crimes against gay adults, homeless gay youth that have been throw out of their homes by their parents for being gay, the misguided people that pick on gay people or people that are different hear ever Sunday how wrong it is to be gay or different they hear from the leadership of this government that gay people shouldn’t have equal rights, so why not pick on them if the government doesn’t care about them. So thanks to the Republican Party and the church the hate keeps on going the suffering keeps on going the pain is still there.
Write the bigots that I have listed here and give them an ear full
SarahPAC
P.O. Box 7711
Arlington, VA 22207
(202) 747-1812
Email: info@sarahpac.com

John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: (202) 224-2235
Fax: (202) 228-2862
Jeff Sessions
326 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 -0104
Main: (202) 224-4124
Fax: (202) 224-3149
Office of the House Republican Leader
H-204 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4000
Fax: (202) 225-5117

Write Secretary Clinton on face book ask for help!

November 15th, 2010

Come on people write her, this is what i wrote maybe something will get throw to her.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=7441&post=89340&uid=15877306073#post89340

Come on Secretary Clinton; let’s do something for American people! Your own citizens are hurting you know about it and you don’t do anything about it!

You could go to congress and make a request, you have the ear of the president, you know republicans that could help but you do nothing at all!

I’m talking about the uniting American families act, you supported it as a senator, and you tried when Bush tried to get immigration reform done, you know this bill, but yet you do nothing!

Why will you not go to congress and do something for American people that are hurting every single day? You helped people of Hattie, you go around the world trying to help people but when it comes to Americans that are hurting you do nothing? What’s wrong with this picture?

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=7441&post=89340&uid=15877306073#post89340

For the Stupid gay people that voted Republicans

November 14th, 2010

For the Stupid gay people that voted Republicans and the third world Republicans

To the gay people and couples that voted Republicans have you people total lost your minds! How could you vote for a bunch of thugs that could care less about you, and your rights? You voted for a group of people that would rather see you so deep in your closet that you aren’t seen, or you leave the country. How stupid could you be with gay marriage on the line, with Immigration rights for bi-national couples on the line, with the dream act on the line, with don’t ask don’t tell, have you people lost it?
Now it’s up to all you fools to keep pressure on the Republican Party to get you your rights since you seem to think they will give you anything but lies and wanting to push you back into the closet! Remember you pay taxes and you get nothing in return, remember that when you are with your boy friend or girl friend and you want to marry them, remember that when you want to sponsor them into this country, when the republican party want to pull the rights that you have now, remember that it’s because of you voting republican, or should I say Rethuglican, or Tea party. Now it’s up to you to put real pressure on this backward country.
Now for the Log Cabin republicans and the Republican Party along with tea party, what is your screwed up problem? Log cabin people, you really think that the Republican Party and the tea party care about anything you say??? I guess you believe the sayings I will not cum in your mouth, or the check is in the mail, or we believe in you and what you do. To the republican party and tea party what’s your problem with gay people being able to marry, if you say the bible you shouldn’t be in office right now, it only means that you are a few thousand years behind the times and you are pure bigots.
Let’s see what good the republican party has done, I can’t think of any, but let’s see what they have done.

Got us into a war that we had no right being in
Got thousands of American kids killed
Stopped immigration reform and made sure uniting American families act wasn’t added
Defensive marriage act passed
Fought to stop the hate crimes bill
Broke the Geneva Conventions
Keeping the defensive marriage act in place
Stopping the uniting American families act from being passed
Stopping gay marriage
Stopped Universal health care
Stopped unemployment benefits from being extended, but finally passed
Formed the Patriot act, against everything American
Deporting kids that only know this country! That’s right deporting kids that have lived here all their lives (dream act, support it!)
Keeping kids in jail!

So you Dems that voted republican and tea party what were you thinking?

IT’S ABOUT TIME!!!!

September 30th, 2010

Immigration Bill to Include LGBTs
By Kerry Eleveld

Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey is expected to introduce comprehensive immigration legislation before the Senate adjourns this week for the midterm recess, according to Politico, and a source tells The Advocate that the legislation will be LGBT-inclusive.

“We fully expect that the Menendez comprehensive immigration reform bill will be inclusive of the Uniting American Families Act,” said Steve Ralls, director of communications for the pro-LGBT Immigration Equality. UAFA would allow American citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex partners for residency. “We have been in constant communication with Senator Menendez’s staff to ensure that the legislation will include lesbian and gay families,” Ralls added.

A spokesman for Senator Menendez would not confirm the report but said details of the bill would be forthcoming soon.

read full story click here

A Rethiglian blog got it wrong again and they senor

August 11th, 2010

Once again a republican or tea party blog not only got the story wrong about the uniting American families act, but they senor there blog so you can’t get the real true story out to them.

This is what they said.
“”We’ve had the “Uniting American Families Act” that doesn’t unite American families but unites families of illegal immigrants””

Any one that knows what the real story of this bill is they would know that it has nothing to do with illegal immigration but make it legal so gay couples in a real relationship (bi-national relationships) to be able to sponsor there husband, wife, or partner into the country just like straight couples do, nothing special just equal rights for everyone, this is American right? Equal is equal. The key word here is to be able to sponsor, sponsor that means legal. By the way this would unite my family and thousands of other American families, I’m legally married in Canada and 22 other countries see it as a legal family. Why not this country and that’s an easy answer, it’s the rethuglicans that have nothing to offer but hate, it’s the church that doesn’t even pay tax’s breeding their own hate toward gay people.

Here is a link to the blogs page and after you read the story sit back and think, this is how the rethuglicans and tea party think.
http://obamaisnotmypresident.com/blog/?p=3148

If you want the true story about the Uniting American families act got to
http://www.usimmigrationwoes.com/

INS, CSI, Home land, State Department

July 18th, 2010

Ins or Csi, Homeland security, and the State department

This is a pure rant but it’s a real story. For years I have been sending the white house a letter with my marriage license, a letter from the car insurance company, a car title in his name, asking that I want to sponsor him into the country since he is now married to a US citizen and has legal rights here, and it’s a legal marriage license in Canada and now 22 or 23 other countries. Well I finally got a letter back but not from the white house but CSI the new INS with a case number.
If you ever called there help line it’s a night mare with endless sub menus. When you finally get throw to someone like I did 30 minutes later the person couldn’t find the case number that was given me in the letter and when you ask to speak to someone else you get hung up on. After three times I made an appointment to go see them, By the way you have to go online to do this.
What a joke CSI or INS is what a totally waste of a government agency! Now you filled out a form on line, you explained why you where there to the person that give you a number like DMV and then you have to fill out another form to give the waste of a person behind the counter; yes you are seen like DMV you don’t even get called into an office. Once again you have to explain why you are there, in my cases I asked to sponsor my husband, to have a 214B lifter and to complain about a vic counsel. Have you ever gotten a dumb look from someone, well I got one. I gave this person what a waste of a pay check the letter with the case number and herd I can’t find it????????????????? Well she got a dumb look. She said I should fill out the form I-30 to sponsor my wife and I said no he is my husband and I said it so loud everyone could hear it. Once again I got fill out form I-30, I asked even with the defensive marriage act section 3 I can do it, and I got fill out the form i-30?????????????? I then asked about the 214B and was told you have to go to homeland security, and the State department. I asked this is Immigrations right? And the answer was yes but we don’t do visa’s at this office I asked for a supervisor and was told no?????????????? I played out the trump card as loud as I can I said” I am an American citizen you are a federal employee, and I am demanding to speak to a supervisor, I am not a foreigner. I want you to know that everyone within 25 feet of me herd this. Well after waiting 5 minutes not only did I get one supervisor but two and once again I had to explain why I was there. I was told once again about the i-30 and once again I explained I was married to a male, husband and once again I got i-30, I asked help filling out the form and got we can’t because we have to review it, but there web site says we will help you fill it out. Ok ok, so then once again I asked about the 214B and once again I got you need to talk to Homeland security, and the state department. I asked ok where are they I was told we don’t know?????????????????????? Could you find out, no that was the answer you have to do your own research. I said you are a government agency I want the phone numbers and address; you have to do the research. At that time I picked up all my paper work and that form they ask you to fill out how they did, I ripped it up and left it there.
Off to my senator and they couldn’t really find out where Home land was but they did give me a phone number. I talked to an officer and said we have nothing to do with visa’s you need the state department. Called the state department and it was the same nightmare as with INS, 400 sub menus and tock 30 minutes to finally get to a person and that person hardly could speak English, call back and go throw the whole thing to finally get an answer.
God the system is so broken! Thanks Bush for breaking a system that was all ready broken and you made it worst!
So I never got an answer what the case number is, once again I have to fax the white house for help and my Senators and congressman.

what is wrong with this country! I know

July 15th, 2010

it’s the republican part, the tea party and the church! Why is it that a month or two ago Iceland started gay marriage and now Argentina has gay marriage! What is this country going to be the last on the planet! I’m so pissed off I’m spitting nails!
marriage in historic vote
Thu Jul 15, 10:54 AM
By Michael Warren, The Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentina legalized same-sex marriage Thursday, becoming the first country in Latin America to declare that gays and lesbians have all the legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage brings to heterosexual couples.
After a marathon debate in Argentina’s senate, 33 lawmakers voted in favour, 27 against and 3 abstained in a vote that ended after 4 a.m. Since the lower house already approved it and President Cristina Fernandez is a strong supporter, it becomes law as soon as it is published in the official bulletin, which should happen within days.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100715/world/lt_argentina_gay_marriage

Obama’s Immigration Speech

June 30th, 2010

Obama’s Immigration Speech

President Barack Obama is set to deliver a major speech about immigration policy this coming Thursday, July 1st, at 10:30 AM from the campus of American University in Washington, DC.

The President will re-affirm his commitment to immigration reform in the wake of Arizona’s racial profiling laws and ask Congress to finish the work it started on comprehensive immigration reform before key players backed away from the table. The momentum we’ve been building is finally paying off with a strong commitment from the President that immigration reform is a priority for him and his Administration.

We’ll be liveblogging the speech below when it starts, but in the mean time let us know in the comments section what you’d like to hear from our President!

Leave a comment and tell him what we need!

Obama’s Immigration Speech

State of California Endorses

June 29th, 2010

State of California Formally Endorses Immigration Rights for Same-Sex Couples

Published on Jun 29, 2010 – 6:43:26 AM
By: Equality California

SACRAMENTO, June 28, 2010 – Today the State Senate passed a resolution with a 23-12 vote that included bipartisan support, endorsing a federal law that would permit U.S. citizens and permanent residents to sponsor a same-sex partner for immigration. The resolution, AJR 15, introduced by Assembly Member Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and co-sponsored by Equality California and Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE), formally requests that the United States Congress pass and President Obama sign the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

“Our broken immigration system unfairly discriminates against thousands of families headed by same-sex couples by keeping them apart,” said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California. “It is in the hands of Congress and President Obama to end this grave injustice. We call on them to pass and sign into law the Uniting American Families Act, thus ensuring that all families, regardless of sexual orientation, enjoy the security and stability that all families deserve.”

Under current federal law, U.S. citizens and permanent residents can file visa petitions on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse. The UAFA, introduced by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), would amend the nation’s Immigration and Nationality Act by adding same-sex “permanent partners” to the list of family members for whom a U.S. citizen or permanent resident can petition. The bill defines a “permanent partner” as an adult who is in a committed, intimate, financially interdependent relationship with another adult in “which both parties intend a lifelong commitment.”

“Thousands of American families and committed same-sex couples are denied basic rights and legal protections, including the ability to petition for a partner to immigrate to the U.S.,” said Assemblymember De León. “They live in legal limbo and are torn apart by outdated immigration policies. In ensuring a true state of equality, Congress must take immediate steps to reunite and protect all families once and for all.”

According to the U.S. Census, approximately 35,000 bi-national same-sex couples currently live in the United States. At least 16 other nations already have immigration policies allowing the sponsorship of same-sex partners, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

There are currently 115 co-sponsors of the UAFA in the U.S. House of Representatives and 21 co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate. Endorsed by the State Assembly in September of last year, the resolution now awaits a procedural concurrent vote in the Assembly.

For more information about EQCA’s legislation, visit www.eqca.org/legislation.

State of California Formally Endorses Immigration Rights for Same-Sex Couples

Ask for help today!

June 10th, 2010

Gay couple gets a boost in winning bid to reunite
Story listed below
For over 5 years I have been asking my senator at the time Hilary Clinton and now Gillibrand for help in getting my husband into the country and for years I have been told that nothing can be done. I’ve also asked Congressman Peter King for help but like always his office doesn’t answer.
It’s just strange that Senator John Kerry made a few phone calls and got a bi-national couple a visa? Last Sunday June 6 2010 I faxed everyone that is listed in the story that Kerry talked to, and yesterday I went to Senator Schumer’s office and Gellibrand’s office and state leg. Sweeny office asking for the same that this gay couple got along with that I DROPED OFF THE SAME LETTERS TO Newsday the Local paper on Long Island and Queens.
I feel that everyone in a Bi-national relationship do the same thing, call your Senator and congressman and ask for a visa!

Gay couple get a boost in winning bid to reunite

June 8th, 2010

Gay couple get a boost in winning bid to reunite
Kerry helps Brazilian return to Haverhill
boston.com

By Maria Sacchetti

Tim Coco and Genesio Oliveira married in 2005, among the throngs who wed after same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts. But for nearly three years, they lived apart — Coco in Haverhill and Oliveira in his native Brazil — because federal law does not recognize their union.

On Wednesday, Oliveira returned to Massachusetts for an emotional reunion after federal immigration officials took the rare step of granting him permission to stay for one year on humanitarian grounds, clearing the way for him to try again for legal residency. His return followed personal appeals by Senator John F. Kerry, US Attorney General Eric Holder, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on their behalf.

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