LGBT Family-Inclusive Immigration Bills Need Your Help

June 2, 2009

LGBT Family-Inclusive Immigration Bills Need Your Help

Dear Families and Friends,

Tomorrow morning at 10:00am EST, Wednesday, June 3, the Senate Judiciary Committee will convene the first-ever hearing on inequality for same-sex couples in federal immigration law. The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) is long overdue legislation that will end current discriminatory immigration policy by allowing American citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners for residency in the United States.

Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Equality Council, submitted testimony on behalf of binational same-sex couples raising children. The Family Equality Council is proud to participate in efforts to educate Congress and reform immigration inequities to include LGBT families. A special thanks goes out to our partners at Immigration Equality, the lead organizational advocate on this bill. (Read Family Equality Council's full statement on the UAFA hearings and testimony here.)

Reuniting Families Act

Meanwhile, Representative Mike Honda (D-CA), a longtime champion of the LGBT community, will soon introduce the Reuniting Families Act. This landmark immigration bill ends harmful practices--such as long visa wait times and discrimination against LGBT families--that prevent loving families from being together.

Congressman Honda's inclusion of same-sex couples as part of this remarkable legislation marks the first time in Congressional history that same-sex couples have been included as part of a multi-issue immigration bill. As our country begins a conversation about comprehensive immigration reform, this important first step helps to ensure that inequalities facing binational LGBT families are included in the discussion. Our families can be part of fixing our nation's broken immigration system by supporting Congressman Honda's efforts.

With these two important bills moving in Congress, it's crucial that we act now to end discrimination against LGBT families in immigration law.

Please call your U.S. Representative and ask him or her to cosponsor the Reuniting Families Act.

Dial the Capital Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be directly connected to your Representative. (If you don’t know who your representative is you can find out at www.congressmerge.com).

Then forward this message to 10 friends and family members. We need all hands on deck to ensure our families are included in comprehensive immigration reform.

For more information on the Uniting American Families Act and to watch tomorrow's hearings live, visit Immigration Equality's Blog.