March with Out4Immigration at SF Pride, Sunday, June 30

We have LOTS to celebrate, so please consider marching with us this Sunday, June 30.

Here are the details:

Contingent #34
Meet at Area G - Spear between Mission & Howard
Time to Have Vehicle/Representative in Assembly Area: 9:30 AM
Contingent Should Be in Place by: 10:00 AM

RSVP at this link, and please share: https://www.facebook.com/events/387862484663627/

We are marching with our long-time allies Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) - and we are up at the front of the parade!!! (There are over 200 contingents this year, so our prominent spot will certainly ignite the crowd.)

We're expecting a lot of you to march with us, and could use a few extra contingent monitors. There is one last training tonight (Friday) in San Francisco, from 7-9pm at the Women's Building, 3543 18th Street, San Francisco.

Those of you who have done the training before know that it's fast (usually doesn't take the whole 2 hours), fun (hey, Safety Freddy is still on the job) and you get to wear a snazzy button on Pride Day.

We also could use a few more people volunteering at our booth at the "Marriage Pavilion" (we're sharing space with MEUSA).

Please go to this link and RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/139310356263937/

Can you do an hour or two in the booth helping Dennis and Amos on Saturday explain what the end of DOMA means to same-sex binational couples? Or, Sunday, after the parade? We should be done marching by noon.

Finally, if you do not have one of our "United by Law, Divided by Law" t-shirts with the broken heart on the back (now a collector's item, btw!!!) - please let us know what size you need and we will have some available on Sunday. We ask for a $15 donation to cover costs.

If you have any questions about Pride, the contingent training or volunteering in the booth, please email us info@out4immigration.org.

For all your questions (and we know many of you have a LOT of them regarding the end of DOMA and green card applications), please read our press release. If you scroll to the end there are several resources, including two FAQ sites for same-sex binationals. This should help you get some
answers: http://out4immigration.blogspot.com/2013/06/breaking-supreme-courts-doma-decisio\
n.html

Also -- for those of you who we will see this weekend, our local volunteers Amos, Erik, Chris, Gina and Kathy will be able to answer a lot of questions for you in person.

See you on Sunday!

BREAKING: Supreme Court’s DOMA Decision Grants Same-Sex Binationals Federal Immigration Rights

Key Part of Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Struck Down,
California's Proposition 8 Case Dismissed

Media Contacts:

Amos Lim, Out4Immigration, 415-742-1626, amos@out4immigration.org

Kathy Drasky, Out4Immigration, 415-606-2085, kathy@out4immigration.org

SAN FRANCISCO – JUNE 26, 2013 – The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) this morning and declared that same-sex couples who are legally married deserve equal rights to the benefits under federal law that go to all other married couples. Of the more than 1,100 federal rights no one is more critical to same-sex binational couples than immigration – or the right of an American citizen to sponsor a foreign-born spouse for permanent residency, or a green card.

In a separate ruling, SCOTUS also dismissed California’s Proposition 8 case, a referendum that took away marriage equality from gay and lesbian couples in 2008. This ruling returns the case to a previous 2009 state ruling that declared Proposition 8 was “unconstitutional” under California law. 

Both rulings were decided on 5-4 votes. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion on the DOMA case. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the Prop. 8 case.

While the DOMA ruling is clear – federal benefits for any couple that is legally married in a state, country or jurisdiction where same-sex marriage is legal, the Proposition 8 ruling will take more time for lawmakers to sort out. In the best case scenario, marriage equality will be restored to California within a month. 

“Out4Immigration is elated with the results of today’s decisions. One of our routes to immigration equality for same-sex binational couples has always been the demise of DOMA. Today that has happened,” said Amos Lim, Co-founder and Community Outreach Director of Out4Immigration.

“We will continue to watch how the Proposition 8 decision unfolds and hope for a quick restoration of marriage equality in California,” Lim added.

As California, the most populous state, restores marriage equality for its citizens, there will now be 13 states, as well as the District of Columbia, where same-sex marriage is legal.

Lim pointed out, however, that same-sex binational couples currently living in the states that lack marriage equality will need to travel to a place where same-sex marriage is legal in order to obtain a marriage that will give them federal benefits. Although federal benefits will be available to these couples, those living in states that lack equal marriage protection will continue to be subject to discrimination at the state level.

“We remain concerned that statutory barriers are still in place for some couples and urge Congress to immediately repeal DOMA in its entirety,” said Lim.

Democratic members of Congress were quick to praise the DOMA ruling and pledged to introduce legislation that would finish the job of fully repealing the discriminatory law.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) took to Twitter to say, "I will introduce legislation ASAP to repeal discriminatory DOMA once and for all.”

Same-sex binational couples seeking advice on how to proceed with marriage and fiancée visa petitions (i.e., "green card applications”) are encouraged to view these resources: “After DOMA: What It Means for You” from the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), After DOMA: Immigration from Lambda Legal and “The End of DOMA: What Your Family Needs to Know” from Immigration Equality.

The law firm, Masliah and Soloway are offering free consultations to same-sex binational couples. Email them at consult@masliah-soloway.com. 

Also, the law firm McCown and Evans is offering free consultations to same-sex binationals. Please contact them at (415) 834-9123, or email info@mccownevans.com.  

In the San Francisco Bay Area, McCown and Evans will be hosting a series of free legal workshops for same-sex binationals in July and August. Visit http://out4immigration.blogspot.com/2013/06/upcoming-information-sessions-marriage.html for details.

# # #

______________

For more information:

Out4Immigration: http://www.out4immigration.org

“DOMA Unconstitutional; California Ban on Marriage Dead”: http://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2013/06/26/supreme-court-issues-landmark-lgbt-rulings

“DOMA Ruling to Prompt Legislation on Capitol Hill”: http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2013/06/doma-ruling-prompts-legislation-on-capitol-hill.html

Out4Immigration blog (featuring stories of same-sex binationals): http://out4immigration.blogspot.com/

United by Love, Divided by Law (visual protest by same-sex binational couples separated by U.S. immigration laws): http://unitedbylovedividedbylaw.tumblr.com

Count Me In / Same-Sex Binationals Share Their Stories: http://bit.ly/O4ICountMeIn

end

____________

Out4Immigration is a national grassroots organization dedicated to raising awareness about the discrimination same-sex binational couples face under current U.S. immigration law and the difficulties they encounter in keeping their families together legally in this country. For more information, visit www.out4immigration.org.

 

VIDEO: Where Is Home? Ken & Otts Tell Their Story

Where is Home? A Binational Gay Love Story from otts on Vimeo.
Ken, an American citizen, and his foreign-born spouse Otts, have already endured one painful separation. In 2014, they are facing another one...unless tomorrow's decision by the Supreme Court of the United States renders Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional.

Join Out4Immigration at San Francisco Pride, June 29-30 and Attend DOMA Day of Decision Rally (Various Locations)

Another Day of Decision has come and gone, leaving only three more potential days for the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to announce their decisions on the pending DOMA and Proposition 8 cases.

Those dates are now: Monday, June 24, Thursday, June 27 or Friday, June 28.

Win, lose or draw - be sure to make your voice heard. Attend a Day of Decision rally in your city. Check this link for information. Our legal sources have informed us that if DOMA is overturned, same-sex binationals will be able to file marriage-based green card applications. We encourage you to consult with your immigration attorney as soon as possible. If you need recommendations, you can email us at info@out4immigration.org.

One thing is certain. We will have a SCOTUS decision before San Francisco Pride on June 29-30. That's why we need all hands on deck to help disseminate information at our booth at Civic Center on both days, as well as to march with us at 10 am on Sunday, June 30.

• To volunteer for a 2-hour shift at our booth, June 29-30, please RSVP at this Facebook link.
• To march with us at San Francisco Pride on June 30, please RSVP at this Facebook link.

Not on Facebook, but ready to help out? Let us know at info@out4immigration.org

This year we are again sharing booth space with our allies Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) and marching behind their contingent in the parade. Our message is very much linked to theirs - marriage equality has always been one of the pathways to ending immigration inequality. With our current exclusion from the Senate immigration bill, the pathway to green cards for same-sex binationals hinges heavily on the DOMA decision. 

We will put out an email on the Day of Decision sharing with all of you what we know and available resources. Please keep visiting the Facebook links above and checking our blog and Yahoo News Group for our Pride booth number and Parade contingent meetup time and place. We'll encourage those of you marching in the parade to bring your own signs -- will they say finally "United by Love, United by Law" or ....?

Take a deep breath.

“I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it,
life is not worth living." - Harvey Milk.

Immigration Options for Binational Couples after DOMA: Free Seminar, June 8 in San Francisco

There will be a free seminar this Saturday, June 8 in San Francisco from 10am-12noon at the SF LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street, Rm 301, San Francisco.

You must RSVP to info@mccownevans.com or (415) 834-9123 to attend.

The seminar will be recorded for viewing later, but if you are in the Bay Area, please come in person and meet others from Out4Immigration.

The seminar will be conduced by attorneys Kelly McCown and Jeptha Evans -- long-time supporters of our cause and Out4Immigration.

Kelly and Jeptha will discuss the impact on LGBT immigration if DOMA is struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in a decision expected by late June, as well as the major benefits to same sex binational couples that would result, including green cards based on marriage, fiancé visas, and more.  Participants will:

• Learn how same-sex binational couples will benefit after DOMA
• Know the requirements for fiancé visas or marriage-based green cards
• Understand the differences between applying in the U.S. and abroad

The seminar is free, but RSVP is required to: info@mccownevans.com or (415) 834-9123. This seminar will also be recorded and the video posted to YouTube for later viewing.  For additional information, please see www.mccownevans.com and go to News Updates or visit the Out4Immigration blog at: http://out4immigration.blogspot.com/2013/06/immigration-options-for-binational.html.

Keep Up with All the News Stories on Same-Sex Binationals and Immigration Reform

The news is happening faster than we can keep up with it on this blog. We try to get stories up that affect us as quickly as possible, particularly surrounding our exclusion from the immigration reform bill that has now moved out of committee and to the Senate floor.

If you do not see the latest news when you arrive here, please click to our new curation site: "United by Love, Divided by Law."

Our volunteer communications person, Kathy, has been tracking stories on this site for over a year, so you will find a very detailed backlog of the history of our march toward immigration rights and marriage equality - both of which will create a path to green cards for gay and lesbian Americans with foreign spouses.

Our Story: Ashlee & Ky

"The worst part is the ever present fear that lingers in our minds."

Ky and I met early in 2004 as undergraduate students at Purdue. I can still remember that first night; we spoke long into the night (rather, I mostly listened because I was shy). From then on Ky’s been in my heart and on my mind, despite my many attempts to eject her from my life.

See, the price of loving Ky was my identity, my lifestyle, and my family. I was raised in a fundamentalist, separatist Christian denomination which had a lot of rules. No sports, no jewelry, no dancing, no joining the military, no going to movies, no taking communion at other churches, no dating, definitely no dating someone of the same sex!

Though leaving that life behind and forging a new one without any support was tremendously difficult, I can say with no hesitation that bringing Ky into my life was the best thing God could have done for me. Together, Ky and I have overcome many obstacles and differences. Aside from unsupportive families and friends, we held different religious and cultural beliefs. I was a devout Christian, and she was skeptical about my religion. I am an American from a quiet town in a fly-over state; she is Chinese and grew up in third world Paraguay. As a child (even into adulthood) my parents had me on a short leash; her parents moved away when she was nine leaving her with guardians who gave her free rein. On personality tests, our scores land us on opposite ends of the personality spectrum.

While we have prevailed over a lot, we are still threatened by our unstable future here in the US. Our path this far hasn’t been easy. Because Ky is not American, and we are not granted the same rights as heterosexuals - the right to obtain a federally recognized marriage - all our major and many minor life decisions have hinged on our inability to secure a green card for Ky. We’ve uprooted twice following student and work visas around the country, which is a huge financial, emotional, and social disruption. I worked to provide for our family when Ky was prohibited by law to hold a job, and we lived on a single income against our wishes (and to Ky’s dismay).

Ky felt like a prisoner inside of our borders, refusing to leave the country for nearly eight years for fear of not being allowed reentry. She did not see her parents and two brothers during that time. She missed saying goodbye to her grandmother on her deathbed. She missed the funerals of two grandparents, the birth and first year of her only niece, and her own brother’s wedding. Additionally, we were unable to fulfill our dream of traveling internationally and discovering the world.

But the worst part is the ever present fear that lingers in our minds. During every step of this immigration nightmare, we worry that we will soon need to find another country to move our lives to. Ky just barely secured the money to enroll in school for her second student visa (it was a miracle really). Only after desperation and begging did she find someone to hire her during her Optional Practical Training. Another miracle landed her a job which granted her a work visa (which she received just days before the H1 B cap was reached). We have managed averting deportation and self exile, but only barely; we have not managed to avoid the emotional toll this process has inflicted.

We realize we are the lucky ones, as far as same-sex binational couples go, and we feel fortunate. But we don’t want this struggle to define our entire lives, and we are tired of putting our lives on hold. We want equality so we can live free, breathe easy, and achieve our dreams.

Are you a same-sex binational couple? Do you have families / friends affected by this issue?
Please contact us at http://bit.ly/O4ICountMeIn if you are interested in sharing your story.  

Our Story: Howard & Shumon

"My heart aches. What else to do? I love him and he loves me."

 

I never thought I would ever feel this way. I just returned from Dhaka, Bangladesh last week, after spending two glorious weeks with my beloved fiancé Shumon. He is Muslim and I am Christian. We compromise easily. Every time we speak we fall deeper and deeper in love and even more in love than before as if that could even be possible.

Bangladesh is a dangerous place. In particular for gay people but also for Christians and also for Americans. I fall under all three categories. My faith and my Shumon took the best care of me while I was there.

I observed a lot while in Dhaka. I had to change a lot about my American ways in order to function day to day in Bangladesh. I would do it over and over for my love, my jaan.

We have talked about marriage. I would marry him in a heartbeat. We have been a couple since June 2012 ...having met in February 2012. We have spent most of our time together apart, but we have never once missed a day of communication with one another. We call at the same time, we text at the same time. We are truly kindred spirits.

We cried together last week while sitting side by side on his bed. We want nothing more than to be happy together forever. I fear for his life in Bangladesh. It is not a friendly place for us. It’s okay for visits, weddings, funerals maybe, but that's all.

If the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is overturned, in particular section 3, that could mean a world of difference for us and so many other same-sex binationals like us. Our love is forever. We tell each other we will NEVER leave each other ever. My heart aches. I try to hold back the tears and wait until a decision is made by the Supreme Court. I read about immigration reform and hope that the amendments proposed by Sen. Leahy will get same-sex binationals into that bill – that our relationships will be recognized for immigration, just like opposite-sex couples.

What else to do? I love him and he loves me.

Are you a same-sex binational couple? Do you have families / friends affected by this issue?
Please contact us at http://bit.ly/O4ICountMeIn if you are interested in sharing your story. 

Sen. Leahy Files Two Amendments to Include Same-Sex Binationals in Immigration Reform

by Kathy Drasky

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has filed two amendments to include same-sex binationals in immigration reform legislation.

The first amendment is the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), which has thus far proven controversial because of its language that technically creates a new category for immigration officials to consider: "permanent partner".

The second amendment filed by Leahy is one that calls for immigration reform to include married same-sex couples. That's right - if you have entered into a marriage in a state, country or jurisdiction (i.e., Washington D.C.) where it is legally recognized, then this amendment says you should have the right to equal treatment under immigration law to have that marriage recognized.

Read all about the Leahy amendments at Buzzfeed: http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/leahy-files-amendments-to-include-gay-couples-in-immigration

To paraphrase some leading advocates, Lavi Soloway of the DOMA Project calls Leahy's strategy with the second amendment "a strategic master stroke". The vice president of the Human Rights Campaign, Fred Sainz, calls it "brilliant."

With more than 50 Senators from both parties supporting marriage equality, asking that our marriages be recognized for immigration purposes makes sense. And, hopefully it will help more of them, like Sen. Dianne Feinstein who sits on the judiciary committee and will vote on this amendment, understand why we also need UAFA language. Because we still only have marriage equality in a handful of states. Because we still do not know which way DOMA and the Prop. 8 cases will be ruled on by the Supreme Court. Because same-sex binationals, already suffering extreme financial hardship after years of trying to keep our families together with no legal safety net whatsoever, should not be forced to make an expensive trip to a state or country that will marry us because of continued discrimination in a home state.

Here's our action, please make two calls:
1) Sen. Leahy, at 202-224-4242, and thank him for recognizing and including same-sex binational families in immigration reform.
2) Sen. Feinstein, at 415-393-0707 and ask her to please vote "Yes" on both of Sen. Leahy's amendments to include same-sex binational families in immigration reform. (You do not have to live in California to make this call).

If you use Twitter, please follow @Out4Immigration at https://twitter.com/out4immigration

We've been tweeting up a storm and every retweet counts and helps us spread the word.

If you are on Facebook, please join our page at https://www.facebook.com/Out4Immigration

Share our posts with your Facebook community.

We need to keep our stories front and center in the coming weeks to make sure that we are included in immigration reform. Because we cannot predict how the Supreme Court will rule. Anything less than total removal of DOMA and marriage equality in all 50 states means we still need the amendments filed by Sen. Leahy included in the immigration bill.

And, quite frankly, we will all still need this broken system to be overhauled and fixed. Because even in the best case scenario, the death of DOMA, all of us same-sex binationals will have just been let into the very system we have fought so hard to be a part of. We'll be wanting it to work properly so that our green cards are processed without delay.