Rita and Margo
22/07/08 23:45 Filed in: Living In
Exile
By Mary Milliken
Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rita Boyadjian wishes she were in a better mood to celebrate the weddings of fellow gay friends after California began legally marrying same-sex couples last month.But her partner of six years is a German woman whose U.S. student visa runs out soon. Even if they were to legally marry in California, Margot (not her real name) could not stay in the United States because the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage for immigration purposes. This month the well-to-do couple and their nine-month-old baby will move to Germany so they....read more uk.Reuters.com (photo: Reuters)
Our
Stories
Photo Blog
It's our time...
One American.
One foreign-born partner.
Living in fear...
Living Separated...
Or living in exile.
All of us are living very UN-American lives.
Americans take it for granted that if they fall in love with a foreigner, they will be able to sponsor their partner for residency in the United States. But there is no such option for same-sex couples. It simply does not matter how long a couple has been together, how devoted they are to each other or even if they are legally married in Massachusetts, California (before Prop 8) or a country that allows it; if the partners are the same sex, their relationship is irrelevant in the American immigration system. A matter of fact, if our marriages become known to an immigration official, it would be evidence enough (to them) of a reason to want to stay permanently in the U.S. and would be an automatic ground to deny our spouses entry, or even a visa in the future.
Will YOU keep it going?
Our goal is to collect as many stories and "faces" as possible, but iIf you don't feel comfortable showing your face for various reason, trust us, we understand. Don't let that stop you from submitting your story. Photos are important in our effort to put a face to the hardship that America has forced upon us, but so is your story. It's a tragedy in and of itself that fellow Americans have to resort to extremes when protecting their families' identity, but if you feel the need to obscure your photo before you submit your story, try something like this.
Living In
Exile
Living In Separation
Living In Fear
Living In Separation
Living In Fear
Living Separated
Partner Held In Custody
USA
Update
- Belarus
- Brazil
- Canada
- Citizen Chris
- Club Whirld
- Croatia
- CurrentTV
- Ecuador
- England
- equality
- Family Unvalued
- France
- Gay and Lesbian Times
- gay immigration
- Germany
- Human Rights Watch
- Immigration Equality
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- LGIRTF
- Love Exiles
- Love Sees No Borders
- Metro Weekly
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- Out 4 Immigration
- Out At The Center
- Phillippines
- Reuters
- San Francisco Chronicle
- Spain
- Switzerland
- The Netherlands
- Through Thick and Thin Docu
- Tim Miller
- Trinidad
- UK
- United Kingdom
- USA
- Venezuela
- Youtube