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!

Upcoming Pride Events in Sacramento and San Francisco

Here are some details on Out4Immigration Pride events. Help make these our best events ever by participating. We need everyone to come out this year in any/every way you can!

This Saturday, June 15 - Gina and Monica - aka as "the amazing Caprio sisters" will be running the Out4Immigration booth at Sacramento Pride. These ladies do a swell job of decorating the booth and educating our community about same-sex binationals and immigration inequality.

If you can help out, please email Gina at gmcaprio@gmail.com

We will be at Booth 23. Stop by and say "hello" and RSVP on Facebook if you plan to attend: https://www.facebook.com/events/189778937846913/

Meanwhile, down in San Francisco, we are gearing up for a huge turnout as we march with our allies Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) on Sunday, June 30.

You can RSVP to march with our contingent on Sunday, June 30 at 10am on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/387862484663627/

More details about contingent number and exact time to assemble will be coming soon.

We need contingent monitors. If you have never taken the training before, it's short and fun. And you get to wear a special button on parade day! So, c'mon. Check out the dates and locations of the training here: http://www.out4immigration.org/calendar.html

When you complete the training, send us an email at info@out4immigration.org to let us know.

Also this year - the Fabulous Dennis Veite is running our booth space at the Civic Center on Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30. We are again sharing space with MEUSA and need volunteers to do two-hour shifts.

Please let Dennis know if you can help out at this Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/139310356263937/

Because we are all anticipating the Supreme Court's rulings on the DOMA and Prop 8 cases - and realize we may not get a decision until June 28 -- we need all hands on deck to be able to come and help disseminate important information. What will the decisions mean to same-sex binationals? What do they mean if you live in California?

It's an important Pride season to be together -- so, whether you have done this many times before or are a first-timer, come on out and let's make this year be our loudest and proudest ever.

See you there!

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.

Out4Immigration Marches in Long Beach Pride

by Ryan Johnson

We marched just days before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to keep us out of the immigration reform bill. Now, more than ever, all who are affected by this issue, need to come out to events like this one to show that we matter.

On Sunday, May 19, in Long Beach, California, there were seven of us marching down to raise awareness about discrimination against same-sex binational couples. I had originally intended simply to march with the contingent, but when I found out that no one was organizing, I stepped in to make it happen. 

 

It was a big challenge recruiting people to participate, despite the large crowds that came out for the parade. After contacting some LGBT organizations in the Orange County and Long Beach areas, and posting on social networks, I had to get so grassroots that I begged my family to come out and march with me. Luckily, we were joined by Bob and Orlando, two long-time Out4Immigration volunteers, who have been struggling within the system to stay together for 21 years. Orlando recently got US citizenship, and we’re all very happy for them. 

 

We arrived at 9:30am, found our line up location, and waited for the parade to begin. Bob had this to say:

 

The day started out a bit cloudy but by the time the parade started the sun was shining, so we knew it was going to be a great march. Now, Orlando and I have marched in a number of pride events including those in West Hollywood, Palm Springs and Long Beach. We've done the beach event at least four times but this one was definitely the best. The crowds raved as we passed by with a lot of people high fiving. When it was all over we wanted to go back and do it again. I think our cause resonated with our compatriots. And we made some new friends with Ryan's family and his partner Louis. 

 

The response from the crowd was definitely appreciated. Once people read our banner, they would erupt in loud cheers of support. My partner was busy taking pictures of us and the crowds. He mentioned that my sister and her new husband were especially popular among the crowds.

This was the first Pride event my mother has ever attended, and her first experience was to march it! She enjoyed the music, the colorful people, and the roaring masses. It was also the first Pride event for my new brother-in-law.  He was a bit tired in the morning, but the crowds really enlivened him with their interest in his physique stickers! 

 

We were all impressed that despite our contingent’s small size, the spectators reassured us that our presence was valued. As we turned the corner and left the crowds behind, we rolled up the banner, removed the stickers from our bodies, and congratulated each other for a march well done. The support is there - so I encourage you to take role in organizing a contingent for your local Pride parade. After the events of this week, we need to make ourselves visible at every opportunity.

Out4Immigration Actions in San Francisco, Hightlighted on KTVU News

A contingent of nearly 20 volunteers came to San Francisco City Hall on Thursday morning, May 16 to for a press conference with Supervisor David Campos (second from the right).

We were there to tell our stories about the fight for immigration rights and how marriage inequality does not let us sponsor our partners for immigration purposes.

We then moved to a subcommittee hearing chaired by Sup. Campos to decide if the City of San Francisco should put forward a resolution urging California's elected officials to support the inclusion of same-sex binationals in immigration reform. The resolution, drafted by O4I members Amos Lim and Erik Schnabel, was approved to advance to a vote by the entire Board of Supervisors later this month.

Following the hearing, the group rushed downtown for a 12:30 appointment to deliver a petition with more than 6,000 signatures started by Amos and picked up by MoveOn to Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office. The petition urges the Senator to support our inclusion in the immigration reform bill.

KTVU News was on the scene and interviewed volunteer Gina Caprio. We became part of a larger news story on the evening news devoted to groups who fear being left out of comprehensive immigration reform. The clip is archived here: https://twitter.com/out4immigration/status/335452591414730752

Once again thanks to the volunteers who came out for this midweek action - Amos, Erik, Gina, Judy, Chris, Kathy, John, Martha, Trey, Ashlee, Ky and supporters from MoveOn, the San Francisco faith community and Supervisor Campos.

Judy and Karin: Volunteering for Our Cause Leads to a Handshake and a Few Words with President Obama

Guest post by Judy Rickard, author of Torn Apart: United by Love, Divided by Law

I wanted to share the experience my wife Karin and I had attending President Obama's speech on Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) in Las Vegas this week.

I think it's important to remember that we are all volunteers in the struggle to get green cards and permanency for our spouses and families. None of us are paid to do this work. Some of us have special talents we share. Others help by doing as asked, or getting other volunteers or whatever. Some may just make or collect donations. That's great too. That's what makes Out4Immigration a community - shared grassroots organizing and volunteering and success. Sometimes something too good to pass up happens, too. This was one of those times. But first, a bit of history...

Karin and I found out about O4I several years ago when I went to a town hall meeting on immigration in San Jose. Rep. Mike Honda and Rep. Luis Gutierrez headed it up. It was at a Catholic Church. I had recently shared my story with Mike, my Congressional Representative, and he had learned more about the issue facing same-sex binational couples. I was prepared to say something at the town hall, based on what we thought would happen that night. When we got to the church hall, two things happened that made me work harder to solve my problem. First, we were told that nothing about gays and lesbians could be shared at the hall that night. Ouch! And second, two guys came in wearing t-shirts that I thought were the coolest things I had ever seen. Turned out to be Amos and Mickey Lim, two of the founders of O4I. I asked them where I could get a shirt and I met O4I that night.

Get your t-shirt here!

Fast forward to 2013 and four more years of working to get a green card for my wife and get this issue solved for all of us. Where am I? In a high school gymnasium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Why? I've been invited by the White House to be at the President's speech on CIR. Invited by the White House! At first, I told them we could not afford to come. But then we were urged to go by friends in the cause, Love Exiles Foundation, and then Karin got really excited and took money out of savings. In less than 24 hours of hearing about it, we were on the plane. Wow!

Over the years, I have shared on my blog how it feels to document your life while you live it. For any same-sex binational couple trying to get a green card, you know there are days when you are tired of everyone knowing your business, federal officials dictating your life choices, stress others don't have, and just sheer exhaustion from the process. 

Two very powerful moments happened...

We know all that. But somehow this event seemed to make that all go away for a bit. We felt empowered and hopeful. We clapped and cheered. But we also felt bad when the words we wanted to hear did not come from the President's mouth as he stood on the podium. All was not lost or sad, though. Two very powerful moments happened and I can tell you with certainty because they happened to me and us.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was to be seated behind us. As she walked in, I talked to her about our issue and shook her hand and thanked her for her efforts thus far. She said "It's in the President's proposal," meaning inclusion of same-sex binational families in comprehensive immigration reform.

...we shook President Obama's hand and reminded him we need his help. What did he say? "We won't forget you! You're in there!"

As the President concluded his speech, he did the rope line - shaking hands along the edge of the seating area. Since we had been given front row seats, Karin and I were at the rope line! In spite of the crush of people who surged behind us and pushed us into the barrier, we shook President Obama's hand and reminded him we need his help. What did he say? "We won't forget you! You're in there!" Wow! We were both shaking his hands at the time. It was surreal - really surreal.

So we felt terrific about those two moments, along with all the day's other wonderful bits, as Karin would say. Who came in and sat next to us? Jose Antonio Vargas, that's who! He and I screamed and hugged like middle school girls - we love each other so and respect each other's work so. I got my photo taken with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis before we entered the gym. That was terrific! We met a staffer from the White House Office of Engagement, Julie, who will be getting a signed copy of my book in the mail soon. I met several elected officials and immigration organization executives who were interested in our slice of the immigration reform pie and they will be getting signed books, too. 

Speaker John Perez from the California State Assembly was there and we got duck pins from him after Karin asked if he had any ducks with him. We learned of his hobby in Sacramento in 2011 when we were there as I got an award for my LGBT activism from the State Assembly.

Our young friend Omar Torres from San Jose came to the event - we got him a ticket after he contacted me. I love to see younger folks doing the work and learning the ropes so we know immigration and civil rights work will continue. Guess I feel like a mother hen, but that's ok!
 

Of course being in Las Vegas, we had to have a little tourist time. We made a few bucks on a nickel machine to help pay the plane and food bills. We walked around a bit and saw interesting things. 

But I blogged and talked to reporters too. It wasn't all just play, that's for sure. I encourage you to read the blog I wrote about the speech event before it happened. Go to: http://tornapart.findhornpress.com/?p=11345 

For the blog I wrote after the speech is at this link. Go to http://tornapart.findhornpress.com/?p=11361

The complete immigration reform proposal from President Obama, which includes same-sex binational couples/families is in this blog, Go to: http://tornapart.findhornpress.com/?p=11408

We were thrilled to get this picture from our family in the UK who saw us this close to the President on their TV!

If you want to follow my adventures trying to get the U.S. government to recognize my marriage, go to: http://tornapart.findhornpress.com

You can see the Torn Apart: United by Love, Divided by Law Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Torn-Apart-United-by-Love-Divided-by-Law/116343758442046?ref=hl

You can see the Torn Apart: United by Love, Divided by Law Portrait Project Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/unitedbylovedividedbylaw?ref=hl

You can also follow me on twitter @tornapartbook

My favorite photo of our trip to Vegas? My wife Karin and a couple of showgirls!

Judy Rickard is the author of Torn Apart: United by Love, Divided by Law, a book which documents the lives of more than 20 same-sex binational couples affected by exclusion of equal immigration rights for gay and lesbian Americans in realtionships with foreign nationals. Judy generously donates royalties from the book's sales to three groups working with same-sex binationals - Out4Immigration, Love Exiles and Immigration Equality. The phrase "United by Love, Divided by Law" was coined by Out4Immigration. Judy uses the phrase as a subtitle to her book with our permission. If you have a project you would like to launch using the phrase, or to volunteer with Out4Immigration, contact us at info@out4immigration.org.

"Torn Apart" Author Judy Rickard Gives Sermon at Metropolitan Community Church

The author of Torn Apart: United by Love, Divided by Law, Judy Rickard was invited to deliver the sermon at the Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco this past weekend.

Judy and her wife Karin, a British citizen, are currently filing for a marriage-based green card. They have been at the forefront of the fight for same-sex binationals for several years now. Here's what Judy told the congregation in her sermon, "For Love or Country?"

"I am no preacher. I am no Biblical scholar. I am a 64-year-old lesbian with an immigration problem, my wife and our marriage.

I want to share this problem, this issue, with you tonight at Victor’s invitation. I am Judy Rickard, an American citizen. My wife, Karin Bogliolo, is not. Karin, 72 last month, was born German, but became a British citizen after her mother remarried.

Because we are both women, my country will not let ME sponsor MY WIFE for immigration to live here with me. If I was a man, or my wife was, (I know that sounds funny) that would not be the case. But we are women, lesbians, and that is our immigration problem. And that is extreme cruelty on our government’s part. And it gives us discrimination fatigue because it has been going on so long.

Our marriage is the product of a love that emerged in surprising circumstances. We met online when Karin was visiting America. Neither of us thought this would happen. But it did. We did not ignore it. We took a risk to be together. We are happy together. We committed to each other. We want our love, our commitment, to continue. We want to be together. But in America today, DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Period. No other option.

So America denies our marriage. America believes we are legal strangers. We face the ultimate discrimination – we cannot safely and legally live here together until the law changes. We have been together since 2006, when we committed to each other. But the reality is that we have been apart about half of our relationship – living in different countries because of DOMA.

So I have had to face this choice that no one should face – love or country? No American should have to choose between country and spouse. No American should have to choose between country and career. No American should have to leave America to be with the one they love. But I had to."

(Read the rest on Judy's blog. Click here.)

Special thanks - as always to Judy - for mentioning the work of Out4Immigration.

Out4Immigration Meets Singer Brandi Carlile and Looking Out Foundation

by Kathy Drasky

Earlier this summer, Out4Immigration was contacted by the Looking Out Foundation, founded by singer Brandi Carlile. As part of her Bear Creek tour, Brandi was raising awareness at each show about a local grassroots organization. Out4Immigration was spotlighted as "the cause of the day" on August 28 at Brandi's concert in Arcata, CA.

As long-time O4I'ers, my wife Viki and I volunteered to make the 5-hour trek up north from San Francisco. Out4Immigration had a prominent booth space right outside the entrance to the theater, where we displayed some of the photos from the United by Love, Divided by Law visual protest project. While Brandi is an out-and-proud lesbian, her fan base is decidedly mainstream, which was great, because it gave us a chance to really educate people about how unequal the US immigration system is, and how the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) bars us from sponsoring our partners for green cards.

Brandi gave O4I a fantastic -- and lengthy -- shout out during her show, calling the discrimination we face a "civil rights issue" and one that is very near and dear to her own heart.

As it turns out, Brandi is in a same-sex binational relationship too. And, we met with her and her partner Catherine after the show. Having been a volunteer with O4I since the group started in 2006, I can say that I have heard hundreds of our stories -- and while each of our stories are unique -- in many ways, they are all the same. We each have experienced the inhumanity of feeling that we could be forcibly separated from the ones we love by our government, and have had to consider and implement difficult and costly steps to stay together. In this sense, Brandi and Catherine are no different than any other same-sex binational couple.

And we are sure we will hear more from them, after the tour ends and they take some much desevered time off to get married in Massachusetts in September.

Want to volunteer for Out4Immigration? Contact us at info@out4immigration.org.

Photo: O4I volunteers Kathy Drasky (left) and Viki Forrest (right) with singer Brandi Carlile. 

Help Out4Immigration Go to the White House

Out4Immigration has just been offered a great opportunity for Amos Lim,, our community outreach manager, to attend a meeting at the White House next week. Amos will already in the DC area for the NQAPIA Conference, for which we received grant money to cover.

However, to attend the White House meeting in tandem with the conference, Amos will have to re-arrange his flights and accommodation, incurring some extra costs that aren't part of O4I's tiny budget.

Can you help us raise an extra $500 over the weekend so Amos can represent O4I at the White House?

Many of you know the hard work Amos has done on a volunteer basis as one of the co-founders of O4I, our treasurer and community outreach manager. He is a true leader who best represents our cause at every opportunity.

Let's get Amos to the White House in his O4I shirt, with our materials and our message!

To donate, click on this link: http://www.out4immigration.org/immigration/donate.html and follow the instructions.

Any donation toward this cause will help. And, if you'd like be an Out4Immigration volunteer and attend conferences, contact your representatives in Congress, help us with petitions and getting our message out online and in print, email us at info@out4immigration.org today.

San Francisco Pride Weekend Recap

by Chris Barnett

Out4Immigration's Pride Weekend in San Francisco was a big success. On both Saturday and Sunday Out4Immigration was present at the Marriage Equality USA and GetEQUAL booth, and it was great working alongside other community members demanding equality for all families—and our families!

If you have not seen this week’s petition on Change.org, please check it out (and sign and share!). Volunteers collected signatures all weekend to add to the petition, and had opportunities to talk and connect with a wide range of people, including a number of people in same-sex binational relationships. And as always, Mother Nature pulled back the fog to reveal glorious late June weather, it was pretty great to be there. Plus, when you’re standing in the shadow of City Hall with a veritable rainbow of humanity, beauty, and outrageousness, how can you want to be anywhere else? Thanks to the O4I volunteers and our friends from Stop The Deportations, MEUSA and GetEQUAL for their camaraderie and help!

We had great energy with our contingent and throughout the weekend's celebration. Many thanks to all the wonderful people who turned out to march with us, and helped us have such a great presence! We were delighted that the parade organizers put us right behind Marriage Equality USA, giving that section of the parade a strong equality-oriented presence.

Several rolls of stickers and a whole box or so of our “green cards” later, we found ourselves already turning off at 8^th Street, the end of the parade route! Some of us have been in this struggle longer than others, and while we all care and see the injustice, there were years where we might as well have been yelling into the dark. This year, we were greeted with shouts of approval, whistles, smiles, and applause. People are taking note of the injustice same-sex binational couples face, and we claimed Market Street as our own. People like the idea of equality!

Out4Immigration also co-presented "A Few Days of Respite," a film shown at the Castro Theater on Sunday afternoon as part of the Frameline San Francisco LGBT Film Festival. I have not, in all honesty, been able to catch up with O4I members who were there, so I have to report back on that—but I have no doubt they put their best feet forward and hope the film was good!

Thanks to everyone who turned out to represent and celebrate with us. From parents to small children, friends and loves, it was a proud moment indeed to come together and feel the energy of a crowd beginning to wake up to the injustices we’ve been struggling against for so long. It was a proud day indeed to be in San Francisco. If you couldn’t make it this year, you’ve got almost a whole year to plan for next year! By then, we hope our work and those of our allies in the struggle to stop deportations and recognize our relationships for immigration purposes will be in the past, and we will truly have a reason to celebrate. Help us make this happen--send an email to info@out4immigration.org and let us know you are ready to volunteer.

Rain or Shine: Out4Immigration Comes Out at Sacramento Pride

by Erik Schnabel

It certainly was a wet Pride in Sacramento this Saturday! Gina deserves praise for getting there early and setting up what many people described as the "best looking booth" at Pride. Despite the rain, it managed to stand out. Not to mention the great give aways that helped bring people in.

I was super appreciative of getting a chance to meet and work with Gina's sister and friends, who did a great job spreading the word on O4I (this is the third year they've run the booth at this festival). We had lots of great conversations with people and got lots of signatures on the petition. Not too mention many new people signing up for more info on Out4Immigration.

In addition to raising awareness with our conversations and materials, we raised over $100 from t-shirt sales and donations.

If Pride is coming up in your city, we can help you cover costs and set up a booth like we did in Sacramento, and will be doing again in San Francisco at the end of the month. There are still so many people out there - including people in same-sex binational relationships that don't know that there is a strong grassroots movement that they can join and help make the change we all need to stay together with our partners and spouses. Email info@out4immigration.org for details.

Holiday Blessings and Holiday Hopes...

by Tim Kempf

Tonight, Christmas Day Eve, I am blessed to have my beloved "M" here in America with me.

I am definitely one of the lucky ones today.

I also know that, unless I continue to work hard to force current immigration law to change, the blissful holiday experience that I am enjoying this year could be ripped away from me at any time...

I am calling on everyone reading this post to vow to work harder, longer and smarter in 2011 to ensure that UAFA, or any legislative vehicle that will do the same thing, gets passed as soon as possible. The current administration will no doubt be facing some challenges in the new Congress, but I feel it is still the most gay and lesbian-friendly administration to date. PLEASE do not become complacent or discouraged. Now more than ever, we ALL must work together to achieve the common goal we all share: To be able to be legally-joined with our partners here in America.

Again, I know I am one of the lucky ones tonight. To all my brothers and sisters separated from their loved ones today I say please stay strong and committed, to one another and our goal. We can (and will) see change if we all work hard enough to create it.

Consider Lt. Dan Choi, as he looks down this Christmas on the ring recently returned to him by Senator Harry Reid. The Senator and Lt. Choi never gave up fighting, and we shouldn't either...

May we all enjoy all the blessings of the season.

Give Yourself a Gift this Holiday. Support Out4Immigration.

by Tim Kempf

I have to admit, I love everything about this time of year. I am a "Christmas/Holiday Junkie" at heart -- one of my favorite seasonal songs is called "My Grown Up Christmas List" (best-performed by Ms. Amy Grant -- youtube it!). Anyway, as Christmas draws closer, I am making my list and checking it twice, and Out4Immigration is DEFINITELY on my list...

As I'm sure you know, O4I is an all-volunteer organization, and (as with ALL volunteer organizations), resources are never abundant enough. For me, personally, Out4Immigration has been a lifeline in my situation -- I have made great friends, shared joys and tears, gained valuable knowledge and received great guidance as I navigate the binational, same-gender landscape.

I know you are probably being bombarded with requests for "year-end holiday gifts" now but I hope you will consider giving whatever amount you can to support the work Out4Immigration does for all of us. I like to look at it this way: my partner and I would spend $25.00 going to see a movie so we will stay in one night and send the $25.00 to Out4Immigration instead, so they can continue to do the good work they have been doing.

Like many, I am a bit apprehensive about what 2011 will bring, politically-speaking, but I know as long as the volunteers at Out4Immigration continue to do the great jobs they have been doing, our shared future will continue to be hope-filled...

It's easy to donate to Out4Immigration. Simply go to the O4I website, and click the DONATE tab in the left column navigation bar. All the instructions are there.

BTW, the following text is taken directly from the O4I website, and I think says a lot about the organization: Your donation goes a long way. Keep in mind that Out4Immigration is entirely run by volunteers who give time and money to fight for our cause. Out4Immigration has no paid positions, does not pay rent/lease for an office or equipment, and does not employ lobbyists.

I hope you will consider donating to Out4Immigration, being as generous as you can. No amount is too small to help further the great work being done on our behalf. May you and your family enjoy all the blessings of the season.

Support the DREAM Act, But Advocate for UAFA and Equal Immigration Rights for Same-Sex Binational Couples

by Kathy Drasky

I support the DREAM Act. I also support fixing the economy, clean air, ending the war in Afghanistan, repeal of DADT and a woman’s right to choose. But I advocate for only one – and that is to end immigration discrimination against LGBT Americans with foreign partners and the support of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). UAFA would add three words to existing US immigration law "or permanent partner" wherever the word spouse appears.

It’s not about gay marriage, although that would be great. If we could achieve marriage equality through repeal of DOMA, and I could make my permanent partner my spouse, then we have achieved the goal of UAFA – to allow gay and lesbian American citizens to sponsor their foreign partner – plus 1,137 other federal rights.

It’s not about comprehensive immigration reform, although America needs to fix this broken system. If UAFA is attached to a larger immigration bill and we keep all families together then our country re-validates the importance of immigrants’ contributions and emphasizes that we truly are a multicultural and welcoming society, ready to play on the global stage as the 21st century progresses.

The DREAM Act, which would allow the children of undocumented immigrants a path to US citizenship if they join the military or complete two years of higher education is a great bill. The people that it would help were small children – in some cases infants - when their parents brought them to the United States. They grew up as Americans – many of them having no idea they were not until they were in their teens and applied for a driver’s license or for financial aid for college and learned they would need a social security number for that.

Some of the young people who would benefit from the DREAM Act are no doubt LGBT. So are some of the people who want to fix the economy and breathe clean air. But – as advocates for a specific cause, we need to draw the line on how we will spend our precious volunteer energy and few spare dollars.

I am a volunteer for Out4Immigration. I run a full-time business and my paying clients need to come first. Some days I have an hour to contribute, others just 5 minutes. All too often I have pushed the work of a paying client into my weekend so I could devote an extra hour or two during the work day to advocate for equal immigration rights for same-sex couples. I am one of the volunteers with a more flexible schedule, without small children to raise – and yet I have to draw a line. Sitting in front of a computer all day, I am bombarded with emails asking for my support to make a phone call, sign a petition, help another cause go viral on Facebook. I could do nothing but online activism all day but then two things wouldn’t get done: my work and my advocacy for UAFA.

UAFA has been a bill in Congress now for 10 years (it was formerly known as the Permanent Partners Immigration Act, or PPIA). As the sun sets on another Congress, we once again watch our hard work (135 House co-sponsors; 25 Senate co-sponsors) evaporate and gear ourselves up for another fight. So many of us feel that the 111th Congress was our best hope in a decade. We had majorities in both Houses and a President who said he was sympathetic to our cause. We even had a successful hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is disheartening to think we have to do this all over again. As a volunteer who has motivated so many others who have come to Out4Immigration determined to raise awareness and make change, I wonder where I will get the energy to keep us moving forward. The one thing I can think of is to focus on achieving the goal that is outlined in UAFA.

Am I selfish because I have drawn a line? Or am I just focused on a very clear strategy. Very few visas last 10 years – but it’s been 10 years since legislation was first introduced to add three words to existing immigration law - "or permanent partner". We need to make advocating for this our number one priority – through any direct channel – inclusion in CIR, marriage equality, standalone bill. We cannot rely on other groups’ promises to have our back or keep waiting for "our turn".

Remember, while we debate this point, another same-sex binational couple examines their hard choices: live apart or up-end lives to the point that they will never be back on the financial, career or family path that you worked so hard for. That you, as an American citizen, are entitled to as part of your "pursuit of happiness".

You can support many things – but I urge all of you to only be an advocate for the one that will keep you standing. Yes, please support the DREAM Act by calling your Representatives in the House and Senate. Ask them to pass the bill – but do not hang up until you have also made sure they understand that you are part of a same-sex binational couple – and the inclusion of the language of UAFA to existing immigration law, the three words, "or permanent partner" wherever the word "spouse" appears, is what’s most important for your family.

Don’t let a day go by without thinking how you can get this message out to Congress in some way.

BREAKING: We're In! Menendez Senate Comprehensive Immigration Bill Includes Same-Sex Binational Couples

by Kathy Drasky

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has introduced comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation that is truly comprehensive - it includes provision for same-sex binational couples.

This monumental achievement comes after months of phone calls, letters and visits to Congressional representatives and their staffers by Out4Immigration, Immigration Equality and many, many other individuals and groups dedicated to ending immigration discrimination against LGBT Americans with foreign partners or, as we are collectively known, same-sex binational couples.

Here is a report from the conservative-leaning Washington Independent, one of the first outlets to break the news and include information about same-sex binational couples. It errs on the side of conservatism (to say the least) - but we'll be adding more favorable reports and links as they come our way.

Right now, let's give ourselves a big pat on the back for all the work we've been doing (which has also resulted in 12 new UAFA co-sponsors this month). There are so many Out4Immigration volunteers to thank, I don't want to run the risk of naming you all and leaving someone out! But, to see just two very recent examples of the amazing work O4I volunteers do on their own time please click here to see a very personal video appeal for UAFA and equal rights produced by Gina; and here to read a post from Erik who has been building coalitions with other immigrant rights groups and just returned from a trip to Washington DC that helped move the Menendez legislation along.

The work continues...

Get Involved, Get Empowered

Video by Gina Caprio

Out4Immigration volunteers take on and produce projects like this one, a simple video for YouTube that can go viral and be circulated around the world. It doesn't cost us much more than our time to tell our stories and get the word out that the United States lags far behind so many other countries and municipalities when it comes to equal immigration rights for our gay and lesbian citizens. Everyone is invited to contribute to making Americans aware the United States is denying people who love each other, adults in long-term committed relationships, the simple human right of sharing their lives together.

This is a right most Americans, including the majority of gay and lesbian Americans take for granted. But if you are a gay or lesbian American who falls in love with a person from another country, you will suddenly realize how fragile our "rights" are.

Please watch this video. Please circulate it. And please get involved as a volunteer with Out4Immigration. Email us at info@out4immigration today and let us know your ideas for raising awareness and achieving immigration equality for all Americans.

Out4Immigration Volunteer Visits Washington, DC

by Erik Schnabel

I have been involved in Out4Immigration as a volunteer grassroots organizer for much of the last year. My motivation is to help change the current situation that my partner and I find ourselves in because of the unfair immigration system that currently exists. If we were in a heterosexual relationship our immigration issues would be easily solved by getting married and having our relationship federally recognized. But because our immigration system is broken, we remain "legal strangers" in the eyes of the US government. I volunteer with Out4Immigration to see if we can pass the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), either as a stand alone bill or as part of the current efforts to pass a comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) bill. This legislation would give me and my partner the same rights as an opposite-sex binational couple.

Several months ago, I heard about local efforts in San Francisco to bring together a coalition of immigrant rights groups to work for CIR. I began to attend meetings of the San Francisco Bay Area for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (SFBCIR), a group of immigrant rights advocates representing many diverse communities. While the organizations that made up the coalition were very supportive and open to Out4Immigration being involved, many were not aware of the issues of LGBT immigrants and same-sex binational couples. After several weeks of attending and helping to educate the groups about UAFA and what we were working on, they began to embrace our issues as well. Since then they have come around to supporting passage of UAFA and making sure that it is included in CIR, and helping to make sure it is discussed in every action we are involved in.

I was excited when SFBCIR asked O4I to participate in a national lobbying day in DC through the national efforts of Reform Immigration for America (RIFA), a nationwide effort to pass immigration reform. Through the work of RIFA, an effort was made to bring 1,100 (representing the number of people deported every day) civic leaders to DC push for immigration reform. This national effort called Relief, Reform, and Respect was an effort to make national congressional leaders understand the true human impact of our broken immigration system, and to call for a stop to the racist scapegoating that has gone on for too long, while pushing for immediate action.

Yet while the local coalition has embraced the issues of LGBT immigrants, I found a much harder sell with the national groups. Because national groups are desperately trying to bring in moderates and faith leaders, including the US Catholic Conference of Bishops and national evangelical leaders who have said they will not support a CIR bill that is inclusive of LGBT families, I quickly found that we could not publicly as a group push for the passage of UAFA. But we didn’t give up easily, and I quickly got reassurance for the local leaders that they would help to push UAFA where they could. All of the organizations expressed their personal support for including LGBT families, and many have individually endorsed these efforts. They have however found themselves constrained because of keeping together the larger coalition that is needed to push obstructionist Republican maneuvers on immigration reform.

I knew going to DC would be hard because of the difficult questions that would have to be raised and the frustration of trying to push legislation that not everyone agrees with. But I knew there we enough people committed to work on this that any efforts would be productive. Along the way, I was able to connect with Immigration Equality, who expressed interest in getting involved with efforts as well and who helped us strategize and to work on our efforts. In addition, we gained more allies along the way because of the participation of San Francisco Supervisor David Campos, who is an openly gay Latino man who came to the US as an undocumented immigrant and who has become a strong spokesperson for the rights of LGBT people and immigrants. We also had the support of an Episcopal priest who is himself in a binational relationship. Our testimonies and persistence were so powerful that we kept finding strong supporters and unlikely allies.

With RIFA leading the movement for CIR right now we have had some issues about pushing UAFA and inclusive CIR as part of their work. But it was really great being there and talking with national leaders of RIFA about the importance of including UAFA as part of inclusive CIR. I came bearing letters for all the Board members of RIFA coalition about this, and received good responses from many. Many RIFA organizations have endorsed UAFA and inclusive CIR but not all. And I did get commitments from many RIFA Board members to make sure to help push UAFA resolutions and try to get more commitments on this.

I'm feeling really hopeful and it would be great if more people want to help push these organizations to embrace UAFA. If you want to help me do this, you can send me an email at erikschnabel@hotmail.com.

(To read more about Erik's visit to DC - including his encounter with one of our strongest allies in the Senate, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), please click here.)

CT Pride - An Update from Sandy

Out4Immigration had a booth at CT Pride in Hartford this weekend. It was the first time we had a presence at this growing event in the Northeast. One of our members Sandy writes to tell us how the day went.

A group of us went to Connecticut Pride in Hartford yesterday and manned a booth telling people about our organization, about UAFA and what it means.

We had stickers and magnets and handouts for people to explain our issue and tell people about UAFA. It was great! Every time I go out and talk about UAFA, I'm surprised at how many people don't know anything about UAFA and the immigration inequality that we face. It just brings out how much we need to spread the word... talk to people and let them know the issues we face. When people hear about it, they are surprised and VERY supportive - they just don't know!

So it was a great day and we made lots of contacts with other LGBT organizations as well as individuals, including at least one binational couple that was not aware of our group. So it was a great day, well worth the time spent and fun to talk to others. We were also able to make some contacts to go speak to a couple of LGBT groups and continue to spread the word. I want to thank Pete who did most of the legwork for the effort - getting the table and tent set up and producing all the handouts and magnets and also Debbie who was there to help and, as always, the great support from Tom T. who is one of O4I's major voices who gives us the good ideas and the push that we need to get out there and make contacts! Thanks to all who helped in the effort.

I hope that everyone can get out this summer and make some contacts. If each one of us went to two events or spoke at two or three meetings - city councils, PFLAG meetings, etc., think of what a difference it would make in bringing awareness of UAFA to potential supporters.

Enjoy the summer and keep up the fight!

Sandy

Out4Immigration will also have a presence at Denver Pride, Sacramento Pride and San Francisco Pride. Visit the "Events" section on our Facebook page for more information.

Action Alert and Media Update for April 26, 2010

Read all the news and actions Out4Immigration is a part of in our bi-weekly mailing for members and supporters. A great way to stay informed and to catch up.

We need more volunteers to take part in our letter writing campaign, city resolutions, marches, rallies and coalition building as America moves toward Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Don't let same-sex binational couples be left out! Support CIR and join us as we continue to work to get more co-sponsors for the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

Click here for more info.

Minneapolis and Cambridge, MA Pass Resolutions in Support of UAFA

Minneapolis and Cambridge, MA are the two latest cities to pass resolutions in support of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers – these resolutions, along with letters of support (another recent one just came in from the city of Campbell, CA) may be what ultimately turns the tide in favor of equal immigration rights for same-sex binational couples. But we can’t do this without each and every one of us getting involved at some level.

Out4Immigration is an all-volunteer, grassroots group. We’re based all over the world and what we accomplish each week, or each month, is directly related to how much time each of us has. It’s encouraging to see a lot more people stepping up lately and putting aside a few hours a week to write and call their elected officials at a very local level to work passage of UAFA from the ground up.

For over a year, Out4Immigration has been conducting a letter writing campaign at Change.org. Each week, we pick five Senators and Representatives and generate an automated email asking them to co-sponsor the UAFA, or include its language in Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR). These efforts alone, sometimes coupled with phone calls, personal letters and stories, have gotten us at least 20 additional co-sponsors in the House, and 5 in the Senate. They have led to UAFA being the immigration bill in Congress with the most co-sponsors! It makes it a no-brainer for any Senator or Representative who champions CIR to include us now. How could they explain leaving us out when we have so much support?

But this support is not enough. Politics is a game of give and take – and we know that the rights of same-sex binational couples or LGBT immigrants could easily be exchanged for support from a religious organization or two for a larger CIR bill. This is why we need to keep the pressure up. And thanks to a number of our volunteers we have been doing just that by getting letters of support and resolutions passed by local elected officials and city councils.

It’s fairly easy – but it takes persistence. You start by calling or writing to a local elected official -- your mayor, council member, state senator, governor (yes, we’ve had a member meet with his governor who is now telling the state’s two Senators to support UAFA!). You can click here to see some local actions on our website (and here to see many more). Typically, you tell your elected official your story. Even if you’re in exile, guess what? Your hometown wants to hear from you. Any local official worth his or her seat wants to know the reasons why someone moved away from their fair city. Start the dialogue. Ask the official for help by going on record calling for passage of UAFA. The official may do this him- or herself. They may write a Representative or Senator and ask them to support UAFA. Or, they may put together a resolution that calls on the city as a whole to support UAFA. This takes a vote by the city council – but don’t worry. We haven’t lost one yet. If a city passes a resolution, like St. Louis did last month, or Minneapolis and Cambridge, MA did just this week, then the city sends a letter notifying your Representative and both Senators that “the city of //fill in the blank// supports equal immigration rights for same-sex binational couples and urges the passage of the UAFA”.

It doesn’t matter if these members of Congress and the Senate are already co-sponsors. The idea is that these local actions create momentum. Think of the letter you send each week. Now multiply that by several hundred (a small town resolution) or a million (a large city resolution). These actions are like letters signed by hundreds, thousands or millions of people.

In the past month alone we’ve also had success in St. Louis, Seattle and Santa Clara County (San Jose, CA). We’ve had five resolutions passed previously in San Francisco, New York City, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Chicago, and more are on the way. Each one of these actions was initiated by just one person, one O4I volunteer who made a phone call or wrote a personal letter telling a local elected official their story. This is what grassroots activism is all about. And O4I volunteers have been active in almost every state, from Arizona to Colorado to Connecticut and Delaware to Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and more! Join them so we can add your city or town to this growing list. Contact tom@out4immigration.org to get started.