WaPo: Immigration overhaul could leave gay couples out

[Laughing Mirror]

By Shankar Vedantam
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 13, 2010; 3:22 AM

When gay couples were given the right to marry in the District earlier this year, John Beddingfield and Erwin de Leon were among those who quickly obtained marriage licenses. In April, the Woodley Park couple - who have been together for 12 years - quietly exchanged vows before a justice of the peace.

Yet even as they pledged to stand by each other in sickness and in health, Beddingfield, 46, the rector at All Souls Episcopal Church, and de Leon, 44, a doctoral student from the Philippines, were aware that their marriage still hadn't guaranteed them the same rights as heterosexual couples. The District recognizes their marriage, but the federal government does not. The country that had given de Leon a home, given him an education and given him Beddingfield would not allow him to start the process of becoming a citizen, even as it extends that benefit to the foreign-born spouses of heterosexual U.S. citizens.

Once de Leon's student visa runs out next year, he will likely be forced to join the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

. . .

The demand by these couples to gain the same immigration rights as heterosexuals is supported by key members of Congress, but is undermining the fractious coalition of groups needed to push through an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws. Including equal treatment for gay partners of U.S. citizens, key advocates say, threatens to doom the already fragile hopes for change.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/12/AR2010091204157.html

[queerart]

1. Overhaul >COULD< Leave Gay Couples Out?

This newspaper staff writer must compose jokes in their spare time for a stand up routine......


As you can fucking well bet it will leave out Gays......


There is no COULD about it......


... and the powers that be, just love sticking their finger in the GLBTQ communities eye once again. They guffaw, and chortle while counting up that "Hit Me Harder Next Time Daddy" Queer money sent as alms......

[mitchtv]

3. let me say

AMEN! No way, now how, no siree

[WillParkinson]

4. Oh damn you single issue voters.

:sarcasm:

[Siyahamba]

2. The public option of immigration reform

We'll be first on the chopping block. In a similar situation as de Leon, but I won't be joining the undocumented immigrants. My partner and I, and our tax dollars, will be leaving for a country that will treat us as equal citizens.