An introduction

Alex and I met in 2003. I won't bore you with the details, but we became very close very quickly. By 2004 we were living together, and we have been living together ever since.

While we have both always been in favor of same-sex marriage, it wasn't until we got serious that we realized just how important it would be to our future.

You see, Alex is not an American. He is a student who lives in the United States temporarily on a student visa, and will be required to leave the country once his studies are complete. With marriage, I could sponsor Alex for a green card based on the fact that we are married. Without marriage, even though I pay the bills, even though we have lived together for 5 years and have been together for 6, even though we have a joint checking account which is his only source of money, the law sees us as strangers.

Because of this, Alex and I are planning our exile. We are looking at what we need to do in order to leave the country together until the day when the laws are changed and we are allowed to come back to this country as a couple.

This blog will meander along our path, discussing our strategies and plans for either finding a way to remain here, or finding a way to leave together.

-Andy