U.S. Cities Demand Equal Immigration Rights for All Citizens

Out4Immigration’s Grassroots Support for Federal Legislation Raises Awareness that LGBT Americans with Foreign Partners Need Immigration Reform, Too

More than 30 US cities, counties and the state of California have issued resolutions or written formal letters of endorsement urging Congress to pass the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). This federal legislation would grant LGBT Americans with foreign partners – same-sex bi-national couples – the same rights their heterosexual counterparts access through marriage: the right of an American citizen to sponsor their life partner for a green card and keep their families together in the United States.

These actions, spearheaded by Out4Immigration, an all-volunteer organization of same-sex bi-national couples and their supporters, takes heed from the late Congressional leader Tip O’Neill’s belief that “all politics is local.”

“We are tired of waiting for Congress to act on our behalf,” said Amos Lim, one of the founders of Out4Immigration, who points out that UAFA has been introduced in every session of Congress in various forms since 2000. Although it remains one of the most popular stand-alone immigration bill in the House, and had a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2009, it has failed, along with Comprehensive Immigration Reform, to move forward in 2010.

“More than 36,000 same-sex bi-national couples need this law passed now,” said Lim. (read more)

Kathy Drasky

Kathy Drasky regularly writes about online culture. Her marketing and communications work with the ANZA Technology Network, Advance Global Australians and with various Australians and Australian enterprises has led to at least a dozen trips Down Under.

An accomplished digital photographer, her photos have appeared in 7x7 Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and Google Schmap.