Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bay Area Reporter - September 7, 2006
Rob Akers
"Under federal law, my partner and I are legal strangers," said Mickey Lim, vice president of Out4Immigration, whose partner is from Singapore but currently is in the country on a work visa. "I have no right to petition the government to get a green card for him."
Lim and other members of the fledgling Out4Immigration met at Justin Herman Plaza to march Monday morning, as did thousands of people in 17 cities across the nation, including Oakland and San Jose.
Marchers said that by organizing they hoped to send a message to President Bush and Congress about the vital role immigrants have in the nation's economy - and demand that any immigration reform legislation being put forward in the months to come be fair and humane for all. It is unclear whether legislation will be finalized in the weeks before Congress breaks for recess. The House and Senate are far apart on immigration reform, and Republican congressional leaders are unlikely to put the issue on the agenda, according to published reports this week.
Current federal law prohibits U.S. citizens from sponsoring their partner of the same gender for a green card. Citizens with partners of the opposite sex can, however. According to information provided by Out4Immigration, 19 countries recognize LGBT couples for the purpose of immigration - the U.S. is not one of them.
The San Francisco group was formed in February to address the widespread discriminatory impact of U.S. immigration laws on the lives of LGBT and HIV-positive people and their families.
"I am here to show solidarity about the whole immigration rights picture and particularly to raise LGBT issues, which are totally excluded from the existing law," said Belinda Ryan, an Out4Immigration marcher. Ryan is an immigrant from Wales and is in the country on a work visa, which is due to expire soon.
Two men who have been partnered for 29 years joined the march. One is a U.S. citizen living in San Francisco while the other is from the Netherlands and is HIV-positive. They asked that their names not be published.
"I am here to support Out4Immigration and the rights of American citizens to support their partners," one of the men said. "If I was straight, I could marry and sponsor [him], but we do not have that option."
Monday's march went off without any incidents or confrontations, as participants made their way from the Ferry Building area to Civic Center.
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