So, if you want to help, you can call your member of Congress. If they are on the list of below, call them or write them to let them know that you appreciate their support on this issue. If they didn't sign this letter, please call or write your Congressman to let them know that you want them to support comprehensive immigration reform that acknowledges gay bi-national couples and that you want them to support the Uniting American Families Act. You could also recommend that they join the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, something I did not know existed until today.
For those of you that follow through on this, I would love to see the response from your members of Congress (unless it's Lloyd Doggett, I get all the mail I want from that guy).
Below is the text of the letter, and after that, the names of all 60 representatives that signed the letter.
Dear President Obama, Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Schumer, and Chairwoman Lofgren:
As members of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, we are writing to express our strong support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill which would end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) binational families. We urge Congress to include the Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 1024/S. 424) in any comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
Currently, U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents may sponsor their spouses (and other immediate family members) for immigration purposes. But, same-sex partners committed to spending their lives together are not recognized as “families” under U.S. immigration law and thus do not have this same right. As a result, tens of thousands of binational families are either already living separately, face imminent separation, or have left the U.S. entirely in order to remain together. This is unacceptable, and we believe comprehensive immigration reform legislation must include a strong family reunification component inclusive of LGBT families.
According to 2000 census data compiled by the Williams Institute, an estimated 36,000 LGBT binational families are impacted by the inability to sponsor their partners for residency, and nearly half of those (47 percent) are raising children. Our existing, discriminatory immigration laws hurt not only those individuals, but their extended families, communities, and employers, as well. Not only would an inclusive family reunification provision strengthen American families, it would bolster the competitiveness of businesses in the U.S. by allowing corporations to attract, employ, and retain the very best talent from across the globe. Indeed, the U.S. lags behind 19 countries that already recognize same-sex couples for immigration purposes, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany.
In truth, no immigration reform bill can be called “comprehensive” unless it includes all Americans, including those who are LGBT. This is recognized in the Reuniting Families Act (H.R. 2709), which includes LGBT families in addressing the broader immigration problem of family unification.
We urge you to include LGBT binational families in comprehensive immigration reform legislation. No one should be forced to choose between the person they love and the country they call home. It is time that our immigration laws kept families together instead of tearing them apart.
Baldwin, Tammy WI-2
Polis, Jared CO-2
Frank, Barney MA-4
Honda, Mike CA-15
Nadler, Jerrold NY-8
Quigley, Mike IL-5
Abercrombie, Neil HI-1
Berkley, Shelley NV-1
Berman, Howard CA-28
Blumenauer, Earl OR-3
Brady, Robert PA-1
Capps, Lois CA-23
Capuano, Michael MA-8
Carson, Andre IN-7
Chu, Judy CA-32
Clarke, Yvette NY-11
Davis, Susan CA-53
DeGette, Diana CO-1
Delahunt, William MA-10
Doyle, Mike PA-14
Ellison, Keith MN-5
Engel, Eliott NY-17
Filner, Bob CA-51
Grijalva, Raul AZ-7
Gutierrez, Luis IL-4
Hare, Phil IL-17
Harman, Jane CA-36
Hastings, Alcee FL-23
Hirono, Mazie HI-2
Holt, Rush NJ-12
Israel, Steve NY-2
Kennedy, Patrick RI-1
Kucinich, Dennis OH-10
Lee, Barbara CA-9
Lewis, John GA-5
Lowey, Nita NY-18
Maloney, Carolyn NY-14
Matsui, Doris CA-5
McDermott, Jim WA-7
McGovern, James MA-3
Moran, James VA-8
Norton, Eleanor Holmes DC
Pallone, Frank NJ-6
Pingree, Chellie ME-1
Rothman, Steve NJ-9
Sánchez, Linda CA-39
Schakowsky, Janice IL-9
Serrano, Jose NY-16
Sherman, Brad CA-27
Speier, Jackie CA-12
Stark, Pete CA-13
Towns, Edolphus NY-10
Tsongas, Niki MA-5
Velázquez, Nydia NY-12
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie FL-20
Waxman, Henry CA-30
Weiner, Anthony NY-9
Welch, Peter VT
Woolsey, Lynn CA-6
Wu, David OR-1
You can find more information at the Immigration Equality Blog.
-Andy
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