chloe
07-18-2009, 06:08 PM
Gay-rights groups hopeful for inclusion, which might threaten bills' passage
WASHINGTON - Judy Rickard took an early retirement and a reduced pension so she could be assured of more time with her partner, a British citizen whose stays in the U.S. are limited to six months.
Rickard, 61, would have preferred to keep working at San Jose State University and sponsor her partner, Karin Bogliolo, for residency in the United States, just as heterosexual couples can. But U.S. law does not allow for that.
"If you're going to have a system that's designed to keep families together, it should focus on keeping families together," Rickard said.
That could soon change, as more than 100 lawmakers in the House and about 20 in the Senate have signed onto bills that would add the U.S. to the 19 countries that already recognize same-sex couples for immigration purposes.
Gay rights groups are encouraged that President Barack Obama has signaled that he would like to include couples like Rickard and Bogliolo in the bills.
"In many ways, the stars are aligning to move this forward as part of a comprehensive bill," said Steve Ralls, communications director for the advocacy group Immigration Equality. "That's an opportunity we didn't have years ago."
Broad legislation covers family members
The provisions concerning same-sex couples are part of legislation that would increase the number of visas provided to family members of people already in the U.S. legally.
The long-standing fight over the country's estimated 36,000 same sex couples of two nationalities is a small but emotional part of the debate over immigration reform. But including same-sex couples in the mix could make it harder to pass an immigration overhaul.
A key ally in past immigration fights, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said it would not support a measure that has a same-sex provision.
INTERACTIVE
Newsweek: Gay rights around the globe
Gallery looking at some of the strides and steps backward in the campaign for universal gay rights around the world.
Writing to Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., the organization said the provision would "erode the institution of marriage and family by according marriage-like immigration benefits to same sex relationships."
Other groups say that it is often difficult to verify the validity of same-sex relationships if one of the partners comes from a country that does not recognize or document same-sex unions.
Immigration overhaul tied to civil rights
Honda, lead author of the "Reuniting Families Act," credited Rickard, one of his constituents, for bringing the issue to his attention. Honda said his Japanese heritage contributed to his taking a closer look at protecting same-sex couples through an overhaul of the nation's immigration law.
Japanese-Americans were sent to internment camps during the fallout from Pearl Harbor and redefined as persons of enemy alien ancestry, Honda said.
"The lack of political leadership played a big part in what happened to us," Honda said. "And that's true in almost every civil rights case."
CONTINUED
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31982718/ns/politics-more_politics/
WASHINGTON - Judy Rickard took an early retirement and a reduced pension so she could be assured of more time with her partner, a British citizen whose stays in the U.S. are limited to six months.
Rickard, 61, would have preferred to keep working at San Jose State University and sponsor her partner, Karin Bogliolo, for residency in the United States, just as heterosexual couples can. But U.S. law does not allow for that.
"If you're going to have a system that's designed to keep families together, it should focus on keeping families together," Rickard said.
That could soon change, as more than 100 lawmakers in the House and about 20 in the Senate have signed onto bills that would add the U.S. to the 19 countries that already recognize same-sex couples for immigration purposes.
Gay rights groups are encouraged that President Barack Obama has signaled that he would like to include couples like Rickard and Bogliolo in the bills.
"In many ways, the stars are aligning to move this forward as part of a comprehensive bill," said Steve Ralls, communications director for the advocacy group Immigration Equality. "That's an opportunity we didn't have years ago."
Broad legislation covers family members
The provisions concerning same-sex couples are part of legislation that would increase the number of visas provided to family members of people already in the U.S. legally.
The long-standing fight over the country's estimated 36,000 same sex couples of two nationalities is a small but emotional part of the debate over immigration reform. But including same-sex couples in the mix could make it harder to pass an immigration overhaul.
A key ally in past immigration fights, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said it would not support a measure that has a same-sex provision.
INTERACTIVE
Newsweek: Gay rights around the globe
Gallery looking at some of the strides and steps backward in the campaign for universal gay rights around the world.
Writing to Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., the organization said the provision would "erode the institution of marriage and family by according marriage-like immigration benefits to same sex relationships."
Other groups say that it is often difficult to verify the validity of same-sex relationships if one of the partners comes from a country that does not recognize or document same-sex unions.
Immigration overhaul tied to civil rights
Honda, lead author of the "Reuniting Families Act," credited Rickard, one of his constituents, for bringing the issue to his attention. Honda said his Japanese heritage contributed to his taking a closer look at protecting same-sex couples through an overhaul of the nation's immigration law.
Japanese-Americans were sent to internment camps during the fallout from Pearl Harbor and redefined as persons of enemy alien ancestry, Honda said.
"The lack of political leadership played a big part in what happened to us," Honda said. "And that's true in almost every civil rights case."
CONTINUED
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31982718/ns/politics-more_politics/