Monday, April 19, 2010

Via LezGetReal: Immigration Equality Fails Bi-Nationals


4-18-2010 – Melanie Nathan

An article by Stewart J. Lawrence of the UK’s the Guardian, reveals nothing new nor any surprises about the future of the Uniting American families Act and its relationship to US Immigration reform. Yet it takes a foreign outlet to show us that UAFA and Immigration Reform do not go well together.

“Just when you thought immigration reform’s prospects couldn’t get any worse, a new “hitch” in the policy debate has emerged. It’s threatening to widen into a public chasm, pitting elements of the pro-reform coalition against one another while giving anti-reform forces a potent new weapon.” Says Stewart J. Lawrence in an Article for the UK Guardian today. Not many mainstream or Blogs or articles have been written that pronounces upon the path to UAFA in this fashion. However, for me and tens of thousands of same-sex couples, l the hitch has been here for quite a while. Except we look at it the other way around.

The author illustrates the hindrance to our bi-national dream of equality, from the perspective of the negative impact of Uniting American families Act (UAFA) on the broader immigration reform, from that vantage point. I, however, have been writing about UAFA strategy since June 2009, in the belief, that immigration reform is the hitch to us – well to be clear -not on its own – but if we were to rely on it for our LGBT rights. Why would we want to attach our right to equality treatment under the existing Immigration Laws of this Country ( that is the right of the American Spouse to equal treatment under the current law) to Immigration reform? This has been my question and for many articles past I have emphasized the danger of such a strategy. Even if we need overall immigration reform on the myriad of other issues pertaining to immigration and the family, that is a separate issue and one where we would have advantage as well. However I am speaking about UAFA and Binational spouses and permanent partners.

make the jump here to read the full article


Via 365gay: Our story: A gay couple, torn apart by DOMA

Niles and Thiago da Silva met on a Sunday morning in 2002 at the Quincy Center T stop just outside of Boston.

They struck up a conversation, had a lot to talk about, and agreed to get coffee together in Boston. Coffee turned into lunch, lunch turned into a hike, a hike turned into more coffee, which turned into dinner. They were engaged six months later and legally married in Massachusetts in 2004.

“We knew from the beginning that we were soulmates,” says Thiago. “We both found something in the other person that was special and different from any other person we had dated in the past.”

Now, struggling to find a way to stay together before Thiago’s visa expires next year, it is one of the only things in their lives that is still certain.

jump here to read the full story

Via 365gay

Monday Watercooler: Obama’s directive comes too late for older gay CA couple

By James Withers, contributing editor, 365Gay Blog 04.19.2010 11:33am EDT
  • Small steps count. Yes, the Obama White House is tortoise like when it comes to gay concerns. Sure the Justice Department presents odious arguments when defending stuff in court. Yet the president’s directive concerning gay couples and publicly funded hospitals is a step in the right direction. Only true knot-heads are going to maintain gay couples should be locked out of medical decisions. A toast to the White House for doing the right thing, albeit a small step that comes with little political cost. Let’s keep the pressure on President Obama so he’ll do more. He would expect nothing less.

  • Elderly gay couple treated like their plans do not matter. This case is one of the reasons we need to keep hectoring Obama and other elected officials about rights for same-sex couples. An elderly gay couple in Sonoma County, California thought they had all the legal papers—powers of attorney and medical directives— dotted and signed. County officials disagreed and deemed the pair, they had been together for 20 years, just roommates. So when one got sick and couldn’t continue living at their home, the county denied them visitation rights. Their lease was terminated and all their possessions sold. Read about the case. It will make your blood boil.

Lady Gaga ft. Beyonce' - Telephone - Piano Cover

Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Lt. Dan Choi

"Last week's hospital visitation directive is a welcome, but small step. Long gone are the days when will we accept crumbs and politely smile as if we were served the entire meal. We are tired of waiting. We are tired of seeing our money and our support go to politicians who promise us everything yet give us only small token gestures in return. We will continue confronting our elected officials, including President Obama, with direct action demanding that they fulfill their campaign promises to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act." - Lt. Dan Choi, in a GetEQUAL press release promising more actions against the Obama administration. Last month Choi was arrested after chaining himself to the White House fence.

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a repost from JMG

Via JMG: Photo Of The Day - Prom Night For Derrick

Without incident, this weekend openly gay teen Derrick Martin (right) and his date Richard Goodman attended Derrick's senior prom in Cochran, Georgia.
About 7:45 p.m., couples started to arrive at the high school in a line of stretch limos, a bus, a John Deere tractor and even carriage and buggy, and afterward walked through a crowd of parents and friends who snapped photos. When Martin, 18, and his boyfriend Richard Goodman, also 18, stepped onto a makeshift “red carpet” and their names were announced, a few parents whispered but many in the crowd gave him a loud cheer. No one yelled out in protest. “I wonder if they realize what they’ve done,” said Arturro Beeche, a San Francisco professor who flew into Georgia on Friday and drove Martin and Goodman to the prom. “Once it happens in small-town America, it will inspire so many,” he said. Security was tight with at least 15 officers stationed at the high school, and no one could enter the parking lot without a ticket. Martin asked his school system for permission to take a same sex partner to prom earlier this school year.
Derrick's story became a national counterpoint to the Constance McMillen controversy after his school agreed that they had no rule in place to prevent him from attending the prom with a same-sex date. Goodman has invited Derrick to his senior prom at another school.

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reposted from JMG

Via JMG: PhoboQuotable - Rev. Dallas Henry

"On 9/11 terrorists turned planes into missiles. The next day the late Dr. Jerry Falwell said, 'We’d better realize that God is removing His protective hand from this nation.' And then he specifically cited our national sins of abortion and homosexuality. The liberal press absolutely crucified him. We rarely see such a vicious attack as he endured. But he was right. And God is now using our current administration to give us what we have been asking for. It's change, and we are finding out it is not change we can believe in." - Maine Family Policy Council head Rev. Dallas Henry, who says that God loves us so much, he's going to kill the fuck out of us for electing Barack Obama.

(Via - Good As You)

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reposted from JMG