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Archives – September, 2011
In letter to Obama Administration, House Democrats seek protections for bi-national same-sex couples
By Adam Bink
U.S. House Democrats are calling on the Obama administration for more explicit assurances that new immigration policy will enable foreign nationals to stay in the United States if they’re in same-sex relationships with American citizens.
In two separate letters dated Sept. 27, 69 lawmakers seek additional clarification from the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department that bi-national same-sex couples will be included in policy that aims to take low priority cases out of the deportation pipeline.
“The recognition of LGBT family ties as a positive factor is a critical step forward in identifying key family and community ties to implement common-sense immigration enforcement,” the letter states. “We ask that you ensure that this recognition is reflected in the work of DHS and DOJ employees and the newly-established working group in implementing your priorities for immigration enforcement.”
The letter is signed by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), sponsor of the legislation known as the Uniting American Families, which would allow gay Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for residency in the United States. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and 68 other Democrats — including gay Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and David Cicilline (D-R.I.) — make up the additional signatories of the letter.
Under current immigration code, gay Americans can’t sponsor the foreign partners for residency in the United States because same-sex marriage isn’t legal in many places in the country and because the Defense of Marriage Act prohibits federal recognition of these unions. Consequently, foreign nationals who are in committed relationships with gay Americans may have to leave the United States or face deportation.
In a June 17 memo, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement allows immigration officials to exercise prosecutorial discretion in cases they deem low priority for deportation, although this memo offers no explicit guidance on foreign nationals in same-sex relationships.
On Aug. 18, the Obama administration unveiled new policy based on this memo saying it would examine foreign nationals facing deportation on a case-by-case basis and take those who are low priority out of the pipeline.
Officials are set to weigh a person’s ties and contributions to the community and family relationships as reasons to take potential deportee out of consideration. Administration officials have stated that being in a same-sex relationship will be considered in the context of community contributions and family relationships.
However, lawmakers in the letter seek additional assurances that bi-national same-sex couples won’t be left out as part of this consideration.
House Democrats ask that LGBT family ties be made an explicit component of the guidance for the working group examining deportation cases to ensure field staff are aware of the policy.
“Without specific guidance, it is unlikely that agency officers, agents, and attorneys making decisions about individual cases will be aware that LGBT family ties are a factor for consideration for exercising discretion in closing or not initiating removal proceedings,” the letter states.
Additionally, lawmakers ask that the working group include a member experienced in working with gay immigrants and their families to ensure that these factors are recognized in the working group’s case-by-case review of deportation cases.
“The vulnerability of LGBT immigrants — the historical stigmatization of whom both within and outside the U.S. is well-documented — makes knowledgeable review a necessity,” the letter states.
16 Comments September 27, 2011
Prop 8 trial: 9th Circuit issues stay on Judge Ware’s ruling to release tapes
By Adam Bink
Text (short) is below.
Briefing schedules tend to take several weeks because of the length of time between responses from opposing parties. So, we will expect briefs regarding the proponent’s request for an emergency stay, and then go from there.
76 Comments September 26, 2011
What happened at Rev. Lou Sheldon’s press conference opposing the FAIR Education Act
A guest piece from Courage Campaign’s National Field Director Arisha Michelle Hatch on what happened at the Traditional Values Coalition’s press conference today -Adam
By Arisha Michelle Hatch
Rev. Louis Sheldon, founder of the Traditional Values Coalition — one of three California “pro-family” organizations leading the effort to overturn the Fair Education Act — wanted to hold a big press conference today in Orange County. Below is the invitation.
Traditional Values Coalition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2011
CONTACT: Benjamin LopezTVC Chairman to Release Results of Poll Favorable to Repeal of SB 48 Law Would Require Teachings on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Topics
Anaheim, California-”A recent statewide poll shows California voters are overwhelmingly against the newly-signed Senate Bill 48,” said Rev. Louis Sheldon, chairman and founder of Traditional Values Coalition (TVC). “The results of this poll should be a warning sign to liberal activists that wish to inject controversial issues into the classroom. Parents are simply against social engineering in the classroom.
“This polls proves that the voters of California are completely behind parents. What we need now are for parents to grab pens, clipboards and petitions and get signatures to stop the assault on our children and grandchildren in California’s schools by leftist homosexual radicals seeking to indoctrinate the minds of young, impressionable youth.” Sheldon added.
Rev. Sheldon will announce the details of the new poll at a press conference set for Monday, September 26, 2011. Details are as follows:
Press Conference
By Traditional Values Coalition
September 26, 2011
11:00 AM
Orange County Registrar of Voters Office
1300 S. Grand Avenue, Bldg C
Santa Ana, CA 92705SB 48, which was signed by Governor Jerry Brown on July 14, 2011, will now amend current Education Code sections to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender to the list of categories to be covered in all textbooks, curriculum and instructional materials. These new textbooks and instructional materials would apply to ALL subjects in curriculum and to ALL grades K-12.
Traditional Values Coalition is one of three lead statewide pro-family organizations involved in the current Referendum effort aimed at placing the provisions of SB 48 before the voters on the June 2012 ballot. The other organizations assisting Traditional Values Coalition are Capitol Resource Institute and Pacific Justice Institute.
Traditional Values Coalition is an interdenominational and multi-racial public policy organization speaking on behalf of 43,000 churches nationwide and 8,300 churches in California. For further information about Traditional Values Coalition please call Benjamin Lopez at [redacted] or visit our website at www.traditionalvalues.org
So, myself, along with Courage’s Anthony Ash and Ana Beatriz Cholo, went.
The photo you see below was the number of press people who showed up.
Lou Sheldon
Rev. Lou Sheldon's press conference
Namely, well, the three of us, a press liaison for Lou, and Lou himself.
In a parking lot.
Rev. Sheldon is no stranger to controversy on LGBT issues. He’s been so vocal that the Southern Poverty Law Center classified TVC as a “hate-group” way back when.
Rev. Sheldon stood in front of a makeshift podium, in the parking lot of the Orange County Registrar of Voters Office – the Registrar staff told him he couldn’t be inside the building – to make his short polling presentation.
With such low attendance, Courage staff got a front-row seat for this press conference and even got to ask a few follow-up questions before he abruptly ended his presentation. He struggled to stay on message, often times contradicted himself and seemed to suggest that his biggest problem with the Fair Education Act was that it doesn’t allow negative portrayals of the LGBT community.
A few highlights from our chat below:
Courage Campaign’s statement on today:
Rick Jacobs, Chair and Founder of Courage Campaign, Says Rev. Louis Sheldon Peddling Lies About New Education Law
Reporters Skip Out on Press Conference; Courage Staffers Only People Present
“The Rev. Louis Sheldon and the ‘Traditional Values Coalition’ have been peddling so-called “facts” about gay people for decades now. All they’ve managed to do is hurt people and earn themselves a place in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s pantheon of hate groups together with the Ku Klux Klan,” said Rick Jacobs, the chair and founder of the Courage Campaign, a 700,000 member grassroots and progressive, national online organization. “Their latest lies are about the Fair Education Act, a law that requires California schools to integrate lessons about social movements, current events and the social contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals into existing social studies lessons. Rather than encouraging learning about the diversity of American history, Rev. Sheldon, like his friends at Westboro Baptist Church and other fringe groups, seek to foment division and hatred, the opposite of Judeo-Christian teachings.”
Courage Campaign staff members were on-hand at today’s press conference, called by the Traditional Values Coalition to release commissioned polling results, to share the facts about SB 48 — the Fair Education Act — and to clarify misinformation being disseminated by Sheldon. Click here to watch the video. Members of the media decided to skip the event and Rev. Sheldon was left speaking to an audience of three — all staffers from the Courage Campaign.
Courage Campaign is working to defend the FAIR Education Act as part of a broad coalition that includes people of faith, labor organizations, LGBT groups, disability rights advocates, racial justice organizations and many more who care about equality.
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Courage Campaign is a multi-issue online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots supporters to work for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country.
50 Comments September 26, 2011
Terrence McNally and SOME MEN: An LGBT benefit event
By Adam Bink
SOMEMENflyerjpg
For those of you in or near Salt Lake City, or who have friends/family in the area: Four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally is hosting a reading of his play, SOME MEN, in Salt Lake City on October 10th to benefit Courage Campaign and the work our members are doing to further equality across the country. We did a sold-out reading last year in Los Angeles and it was so popular, we decided to put one together in a place where LGBT people have so few protections and deserve more attention. Benefits will go to the Courage Campaign and the Utah Pride Center. SOME MEN is a series of interwoven stories about various gay men over the course of 80 years. It’s a fascinating production.
The flyer’s above. It’s quite the cast of characters. For more info or to buy tickets, click here. Rick and some other folks from our team will be there to do a Camp Courage training for that weekend, as well.
7 Comments September 26, 2011
Marriage Bans Even Worse than we Thought
By Matt Baume
Holy cow. Where to begin? Dustin Lance Black’s play about Prop 8 hit Broadway for an incredible night. The tapes of the Prop 8 trial might actually get released. Florida’s working on domestic partnerships, North Carolina’s marriage ban is even worse than we thought, New Hampshire might repeal marriage, and Missouri — yes, Missouri — favors legal recognition for gay couples. All that, plus the first Republican co-sponsor for the repeal of DOMA. Wow.
I’m sure you noticed that I didn’t do an episode last week. That’s because I was in New York for the star-studded Broadway premier of Dustin Lance Black’s new play, “8,” based on the transcripts of the Prop 8 trial. It was even more amazing than anyone could have hoped, and if you missed it, don’t worry: it’s coming to your town. Now that it’s had its premiere, the plan is to license the play to local community theater and student groups all over the world. Visit BroadwayImpact.com for more information.
Meanwhile on the very same day as the show, the Federal Circuit Court in California ruled that the tapes of the Prop 8 trial should be unsealed. This is huge, but it’s not a done deal yet. The tapes are still locked up for another week, during which time the Prop 8 proponents will appeal the order. Then we’re probably looking at several weeks for the appeal to play out.
Let’s turn now to Florida, where Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen became the first congressional Republican to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the federal marriage ban. That brings the total number of co-sponsors to nearly 130, a record high.
Also in Florida, two Democrats have introduced a domestic partnership bill. But the state already has a constitutional amendment banning recognition similar to marriage, so it’s unclear if Florida would even be allowed to recognize domestic partnerships.
The language of North Carolina’s proposed constitutional amendment to ban marriage is even more harsh than was previously agreed to. Lawmakers debated a version of the bill that permitted employers to opt in to providing partnership benefits, but the version that will go before voters leaves that provision out. Polling currently shows the bill losing by a very slim margin, which could be a problem since the vote will occur in May, during the Republican primary when conservative turnout will be high.
And In New Hampshire, Republicans have introduced a bill to end marriage equality in that state. The proposed measure would ban more than just marriage — it would leave couples with even fewer protections than they had under civil unions. The House Judiciary Committee will vote on the bill next month.
Those are the headlines, visit us over at MarriageNewsWatch.com for more on all these stories and more. And connect with us at Facebook.com/MarriageNewsWatch to get breaking alerts right on your wall. See you next week.
15 Comments September 26, 2011
