Keeping 36,000 LGBT Immigrant Families Together

Ask U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler what he thinks is "gratuitous cruelty," and he'll tell you it's the fact that U.S. immigration policy continues to discriminate and separate LGBT families en masse. Rep. Nadler was just one of several Congressional leaders speaking from the Capitol today about comprehensive immigration reform, and the need for LGBT families to be included in any reform legislation.

Immigration reform is one of those rare issues where progressive groups and conservative religious groups have found some common ground. But the issue of including LGBT families in comprehensive immigration reform has recently gotten some right-leaning religious groups, including the Catholic Church and certain evangelical groups, in a tizzy. The right, and some within the Republican Party, are saying that if LGBT provisions are included in comprehensive immigration reform, you can count the GOP out.

So much for being the party of family values.

But a group of legislators and several human rights and LGBT organizations were sending a different message today. They were saying that if you really care about family values and preserving the family, you best get behind comprehensive immigration reform that includes provisions for LGBT families.

"Because current immigration law doesn’t allow gay Americans to sponsor their partners for immigration, tens of thousands of children face the very real threat of either losing one parent or losing their home," said Jennifer Chrisler, the executive director of the Family Equality Council. And that's what this all boils down to: U.S. law, as currently written, forcibly separates LGBT families.

That bothers Rep. Luis Gutierrez immensely. Rep. Gutierrez is one of the lead sponsors of the Uniting American Families Act, which would rectify this gaping hole in U.S. immigration law, and allow children to stay together with both of their LGBT parents. He sees support for comprehensive immigration reform, including UAFA, as increasing in the U.S. House of Representatives. If he were a betting man, he'd say that he has roughly 200 votes already in line to pass LGBT-friendly immigration reform. Now he wants to see his colleagues in Congress pledge to get this legislation through.

"It’s the right thing to do. Families should be included, and as we move forward, that should be our guiding principle for comprehensive immigration reform. To use the old adage, the tent is big enough," said Rep. Gutierrez, noting that immigration reform does not have to be the partisan, wedge issue some are trying to make it out to be. Instead, it's simply about keeping upwards of 36,000 LGBT families together.

Agree with him? Send a message to your Congress members now, urging them to support comprehensive immigration reform that includes LGBT families.

There were a few other important reactions from folks at today's Capitol Hill press conference. Among them include representatives from Immigration Equality, who have truly been champions for UAFA and comprehensive immigration reform.

“Every day that Congress fails to take action, American families are separated or forced into exile,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of the Immigration Equality Action Fund. “For those families, and their loved ones, today’s clear call to action, from key Congressional champions, could not be more welcome or more timely. We are proud to stand with those leaders, and with immigrants and their families across our country, in working to fix our broken immigration system. The LGBT community can be a steadfast partner in that effort, and Immigration Equality is proud to mobilize allies in support of inclusive immigration reform.”

Let's show that the LGBT community can be a steadfast partner in this debate. The right wing has been saying that no GOP lawmaker, and no conservative Democrat, will get behind comprehensive immigration reform that includes LGBT families. Let's prove them wrong, by demanding that Congress get with the program, and stop tearing LGBT families apart.

Photo credit: Immigration Equality on Facebook