Inauguration Bliss
As a DC resident, I had the great fortune to attend President Obama’s inauguration yesterday. It was an absolute thrill to be part of such a diverse crowd of over one million. When he became president the shouts of joy were marvelous and tears flowed as all of us imagined the possiblities for freedom that can open up for the world’s citizens.
In the freezing hours we waited to see President Obama, the crowd around me danced a version of the “cuban slide” about every ten minutes, dozens of us calling out the moves while staying warm and moving together (”to the left, to the left, to the left, to the left – and step and step and step and step….and walk it down [quarter turn and start again]“). If we hadn’t have moved together, we couldn’t have moved at all.
As a passionate advocate for equal immigration rights for LGBT people, I was incredibly heartened by the President’s call that prosperity and the possibility of happiness be extended to everyone. It is a wonderful national message for Immigration Equality to wrap around our own message to capitol hill and America – that ALL families, including ours, must be included in immigration reform. Just as Senator Leahy stated January 6 on the Senate floor (see blog below)!
Of course the only disappointment was the Rick Warren invocation. But many, many, many of us booed and turned our backs. Plenty of LGBT folks and allies in the crowd! What a cynic – to “pray” for tolerance while working to destroy our community.
After the inauguration I attended a hill reception of our very own Congressman Jerry Nadler, Immigration Equality – New York’s Representative and lead House sponsor and champion of the Uniting American Families Act and LGBT immigrants. It’s always wonderful to have a chance to thank our hard-working champions face to face.
Last night, I attended the LGBT inaugural ball sponsored by Immigration Equality and many other LGBT groups at the Mayflower Hotel, attended by such stars and luminaries as Melissa Etheridge, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and gay Episcopalian Bishop V. Gene Robinson. Immigration Equality provided a free ticket to a local activist who advocates for recent Latino/a transgender immigrants here in DC.
At the inaugural ball, it seemed to me that Immigration Equality got a large cheer from the crowd as the sponsoring organizations were announced one by one. I thought that might just be my own bias listening, but others in the crowd told me they heard the same. I think it’s a sign that LGBT immigrants and immigrant families are primed and ready to demand equal rights. We are ready for the struggle ahead; President Obama, son of a binational couple, seems ready; and Congress needs to get ready! Because here we come.
I understand that Immigration Equality is trying to gather up a coalition before reintroducing the UAFA to the new Congress. But in the meantime, is there anything that we can do to help build this coalition? Is Immigration Equality going to start issuing Action Alerts before the introduction of the UAFA or will they start after it is introduced?
Comment by nola — January 21, 2009 @ 10:41 pm
Julie & IE, Thank you so much for keeping us up to date on our journey. Change has come to the White House and is on the way for LGBT Americans. I am glad we have a person like you in Washington to keep there feet to the fire!
Thank you for all you do!
Comment by SeaMex — January 22, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
wow. is this where all the donations are going? paying for the staff to party?
I don’t care about Obama-mania…. it’s time to get to work. When will IE start doing something?
Comment by Chris R — January 22, 2009 @ 4:04 pm
You know am a big supporter of Obama, Was proud to see him sworn in. Now all i want from him is a chance to be with my girlfriend who quite ironically happends to be from kenya. He needs to get down to business ASAP i have waited long enough.
Comment by matumbo — January 22, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
Does anyone have a good idea when UAFA will pass? I heard from a gay guy that worked for the Obama campaign stating that this bill will not pass until the war and economy are taken care of, and he said that won’t be for another 3 years or so. I hope that is not the case as we are finding it tough to live together money wise. We really need this to pass this year or early spring next year. I need to get a job soon after I graduate from Nursing school next summer to support my American partner who has health issues.
Comment by Gerry D — January 22, 2009 @ 8:17 pm
Congressman Jerry Nadler on the UAFA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huvm7d_qe1A
Comment by nola — January 22, 2009 @ 10:02 pm
Thank you Matumbo. It seems that Immigration Equality is not doing anything to “change” you and your partner’s situation.
This is from a IE email a few weeks ago.
“This month’s opening of our Washington DC office marks a vital step in expanding our reach to create fair immigration laws for LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants and the Americans who love them.”
WHAT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE WE ACCESSED? WHAT IS THE STAFF DOING IN DC? I have only heard about Balls and open-houses they attend.
Comment by Ben F — January 23, 2009 @ 7:43 am
Chris, Immigration Equality spends donors’ money very carefully. The tickets to the LGBT Inaugural were free; every sponsoring LGBT organization got a pair. (Sponsorship cost nothing.) Julie took an allied queer immigrant activist as her date.
Comment by Rachel Tiven — January 23, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
Thanks for clearing that up but still I am loosing patience with the organization. I constantly receive requests for money and have no idea why you need it. IE has done nothing in the past year.
You took credit for the HIV ban when but it’s not yet lifted. And IE did not do much to end it.
You keep taking credit for the asylum victories when the law firms actually do the work and win the cases.
And, you have done nothing for people like me who need the UAFA.
I have been apart from my partner for 3 years and all I get from you guys is rhetoric and spin. And I hate, yes HATE that UAFA is in your hands.
Comment by Chris R — January 23, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
Another point I wanted to make. This is what we did on the first day of the new Congress when everyone is running around and actually having REAL conversations.
“I reconnected with Jared Polis, freshman Representative from Colorado and the first openly gay man to be elected to Congress (Barney Frank came out after he was elected). Jared is a champion for immigrants and has been committed to supporting UAFA since I first spoke with him over a year ago. A fellow Colorado freshman, newly elected Betsy Markey (who in a wonderful election upset defeated anti-gay, anti-immigrant Marilyn Musgrave) told me of a binational gay couple she knows. And I spoke at length with my own home town Representative Jan Schakowski who has been an outstanding UAFA champion.”
You had conversations with three people… two of them already support us and the other knows a gay couple. Yay for you. Live a day in my shoe and I bet you will not ever brag about these bottom feeder conversations again.
Comment by Ben F — January 23, 2009 @ 3:00 pm
Chris, I’m as frustrated as you are that the UAFA hasn’t passed yet. However, the 1,500 couples, people with HIV, and asylum-seekers who called Immigration Equality for legal advice last year would beg to differ with your accusation that the organization did nothing last year. So would the 55 people who won asylum in 2008 who would not have had access to any lawyer if we didn’t exist, and so would the hundreds of pro bono attorneys we train, mentor, and supervise on their cases. Thousands of immigration lawyers around the country who rely on our advice on representing binational couples, LGBT asylum seekers, and HIV-positive people would disagree as well, and so would the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which just published the book we wrote on transgender immigration issues as its first LGBT publication ever. The 180,000 unique visitors to our website last year regularly tell us that the free, accurate, detailed advice we provide there for binational couples and asylum seekers is invaluable. Senator Kerry would disagree that we didn’t play a key role in ending the HIV ban – in fact, he already has (see our Fall/Winter update, on the homepage). We convene the working group that is pushing HHS to issue the new rule ending the ban, and we have pushed the agency in the press and in private meetings to account for the delay. Our new Washington office is meeting every single day with House, Senate, and immigration coalition leadership about how to pass the UAFA, and our Spokescouples Bureau matches hundreds of families like yours with legislators in target districts to testify to the pain of family separation. So while I respectfully disagree with your assessment of Immigration Equality’s work, I agree with you wholeheartedly on one thing: you and your partner have been apart for three years too long.
Comment by Rachel Tiven — January 23, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
Chris- When the UAFA was introduced back in May 07 I called IE for advice. The advice they gave me, “find an immigration lawyer”. The person I spoke to was quite blunt and honest. Even though the UAFA was just introduced, she told be not make “life plans” around the legislation because it would probably take 4-5 years to pass. That was almost 2 years ago.
Comment by nola — January 23, 2009 @ 6:06 pm
Chris, I too feel your pain. My partner, Dog, and Parents are in another country as I type this. It is no fun to go home to an empty house. The Uniting American Families Act needs to pass and I feel will under President Obama. IE is working very hard and part of that is going to these party’s to mingle and talk with politicians. Take some of your frustration and write President Obama and your Representatives. Help us by being part of the solution. Sí, se puede
Comment by SeaMex — January 23, 2009 @ 7:57 pm
When will the HIV ban be really lifted? Does it allow my partner to get permanent residency here? Is it just for short term visitors? I wrote and ask around and have been getting different answers. Can someone clear it out for us. We are running out of time.
Comment by Stacy S. — January 26, 2009 @ 6:58 am
I think common sense here would help our government boost the ecomony by letting us bring our loved ones. what are the prices for a green card now 1000.00 per applicant? I understand Obama looking at the economoy first, but i would rather not have a job with my loved one on my side. Thats just my opinion.
Comment by Matumbo — January 27, 2009 @ 6:13 pm
This is great, I have not seen 15 comments on a topic here in a very long time. Thanks again to IE, Rachel, Julie, and all the staff for what you do everyday. Change is comming! Y
Comment by SeaMex — January 27, 2009 @ 10:30 pm
I just posted this on Barak’s facebook profile:
“Hello Barak,
We know you have many issued to cover but we cannot be set aside once again. Me and about 50,000 bi-national same sex couples want to now when the UAFA will be aprooved.”
Lets all post a message.
Comment by Mykle — January 30, 2009 @ 5:03 pm