New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has promised to pass a marriage equality bill this year, and polls show a majority of New Yorkers support one. But some gay immigrant activists question whether gay marriage is the right issue to focus on.
In a development that some activists are calling historic, a bill that would allow U.S. citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners to immigrate legally into the country is getting its day in Congress, for the first time.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) for Wednesday, June 3. The news came Thursday in a press release by Immigration Equality, one of the organizations pushing for the bill to become law.
As Feet in 2 Worlds reported this week, UAFA would allow gay and lesbian Americans to sponsor their partners for U.S. residency in the same way heterosexuals are allowed to petition on behalf of their spouses.
Photo: Richard Settle/Flickr.
PHOENIX, Arizona — David used to be one of those people who say: “Get out of our country if you don’t belong here.” That was until he fell in love with an undocumented immigrant.
After seven years of living together, David, an American citizen, worries about his same-sex partner’s ability to remain in the country. Guille, 38, came to the U.S. over nine years ago from Colombia, and his tourist visa has expired.
While federal immigration laws allow heterosexual residents to sponsor their spouses to immigrate to the country, gay and lesbian couples are not afforded the same benefit.
“My rights are being denied because Guille is a ‘boy,’” said David, 48, who asked for both of their last names to be withheld because of his partner’s immigration status.
A bill introduced in Congress last February might open up new options for couples like David and Guille.