Immigration reform on the agenda in the USA
The New York Times reports that immigration reform is on the agenda in the USA. This is good news for LGBT families: The Obama administration will insist on measures to give legal status to an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants as it pushes early next year for legislation to overhaul the immigration system, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Friday. If our families are included, the United States would join the growing list of countries that recognize same-sex couples for immigration purposes. Several bills

Who wants to live in America?
I live in a country where I am a first-class citizen in every way. I have been married for 8 years. My wife and I have been together for 10 years next month. Because I am a woman married to a woman, I don’t have the right that any male US citizen or alien permanent resident has: to sponsor my wife for a green card. Last week I shared this story with 2 staffmembers of Senator Dianne Feinstein and 5 other binational couples denied the right to live legally in the USA because they are gay or lesbian. I found myself saying: we have no federal rights in the United States. In my new home country, the Netherlands, and many other European countries, we are t

The Underground Railroad and a meeting at Senator Feinstein’s San Francisco office
Yesterday I had the opportunity to join four other US citizens with foreign partners, and one UK partner, to speak with staff at Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office about the cost of excluding LGBT families from US federal law. The focus was on immigration law and the cost to US families and the economy when US citizens have to choose between country and partner. We described how Love Exiles supports US citizens and partners who are in exile or considering exile to be together. It was an emotional discussion for all of us. We are all at various places: I have lived in exile for 9 years. Judy and her partner do not know how long they will be able to s

All families deserve to be respected, honored and nurtured
This week has been a big week for LGBT families. Yesterday Rep Jerrold Nadler introduced  the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA is the legislation that prevents the US government from granting any kind of benefit to same-sex couples, including immigration rights. Until recently a legally married same-sex couple could not even get a passport with their correct married name on it, thanks to DOMA DOMA keeps US citizens like me in exile. It separates LGBT couples from each other and from their families and communities. It’s unfair. it’s un-American. This week Immigration Equality seized