"Currently, American citizens who are gay or lesbian cannot sponsor their foreign born partners for immigration – no matter how long they have been together or how committed their relationship."

This is how the Immigration Equality Action Fund (IEAF) explains the inequity of the current system for same-sex partners of U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and why it supports the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) which allows U.S. citizens or permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex partner for immigration. The IEAF puts forward many pragmatic arguments for ending this practice, pointing out that many couples leave the United States for more progressive countries, taking their skills, expertise and taxable income with them. It also points out the UAFA has been carefully worded so as not to redefine marriage or challenge the Defense of Marriage Act law.

Finally, this – as any type discrimination – hurts people, in this case families. According to an article in the Huffington Post, "Because of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, those couples are not afforded the same rights as opposite-sex couples to petition for green cards for their spouses, even if they are also legally married in their state. That can mean couples are separated for at least six months -- or longer, if one partner is in the United States without authorization -- while they wait for another visa to temporarily return to the country."(1) The UAFA is designed to keep families together – more than 36,000 couples are affected by this discrimination; 46% of them are raising children(2).

Make a difference – add your voice to keep families together that want to be together.

February 05, 2013. Uniting All Families Act