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Written by Lisa Neff, Staff writer
Jul 28, 2010
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (left) is one of several members of Congress working to enure that binational LGBT families are protected under immigration reform.
Lawmakers and civil rights activists took a stand on Capitol Hill July 15, demanding passage of comprehensive immigration reform that helps protect binational LGBT families.
The assembly at the House Triangle in the Capitol followed President Barack Obama’s call for Congress to tackle immigration reform. Lawmakers working to pass the Uniting Americans Families and Reuniting Families acts want to make sure their measures are part of any broader reform package that moves this year.
U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. and U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced UAFA with strong support from U.S. Reps. Luis Gutierez and Mike Quigley, D-Ill., U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo.
UAFA would help end the process that results in the separation of binational families because current immigration laws discriminate against same-sex couples.
“Binational LGBT couples must be granted the right to sponsor their permanent partners for immigration, just as other committed and straight married couples can,” Nadler said. “To that end, I am joining a diverse coalition of legislators, advocates and LGBT groups calling on Congress to include my critical legislation … in immigration reform, and to make sure that immigration reform is truly deserving of the term ‘comprehensive.’”
The Reuniting Families Act, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., also offers protections for immigrant families, including LGBT families.
Honda said his proposals ensure “that all immigrants – irrespective of race, religion and sexual orientation – are afforded the same rights and responsibilities as the immigrants who came before them, including a legal path to citizenship.
“We do that by reuniting families – spouses, children, siblings, parents, same-sex partners – who have been separated for decades,” Honda said. “We do that by ensuring that families are included in comprehensive immigration reform.”
Representatives from 30 groups joined in the Capitol Hill stand, releasing a joint statement that read, “Our constituencies, members and congregations stand ready, willing and able to support passage of legislation that fixes our broken immigration system for all families, including binational families. No reform can truly be called comprehensive unless it includes LGBT immigrant families as well. Today, leaders made clear that all future immigration legislation must be truly inclusive, and we are proud to stand with them in that call.”
Signers included the Anti-Defamation League, Equality Federation, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, Hispanic Federation, Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Immigrant Justice Center, People for the American Way and South Asian Americans Leading Together.
