Gay Rights or Immigration Rights?
Monday May 1, 2006
Today is May Day, a day to celebrate the workers of the world. Many people have taken this opportunity to take to the streets in favor of immigrant rights. Why should gays and lesbians care about immigrant rights? For many reasons. First of all, gays and lesbians who want to immigrate to this country are at a disadvantage. Heterosexual Americans can sponsor their opposite-sex spouses for green cards. Because gay and lesbian couples are not recognized by the government, federal law prohibits them from sponsoring their same-sex partners.
How many lesbians are in this country illegally because their partners cannot sponsor them for citizenship? How many gay and lesbian people seek asylum in this country because of human rights violations in their own country? How many migrant or farm workers are gay and lesbian and afraid to come out of the closet?
As oppressed people, we are all in this struggle together. As Martin Luther King so aptly said, "No one is free when others are oppressed." The struggle for immigrant rights is the struggle for human rights. The struggle for gay and lesbian rights is the struggle for human rights. There is no difference. So why are some gays and lesbians against the recent immigrant rights movement? Here's more about the struggle for gay and lesbian immigration.
Immigration Rights, Gay Rights or Both?
How many lesbians are in this country illegally because their partners cannot sponsor them for citizenship? How many gay and lesbian people seek asylum in this country because of human rights violations in their own country? How many migrant or farm workers are gay and lesbian and afraid to come out of the closet?
As oppressed people, we are all in this struggle together. As Martin Luther King so aptly said, "No one is free when others are oppressed." The struggle for immigrant rights is the struggle for human rights. The struggle for gay and lesbian rights is the struggle for human rights. There is no difference. So why are some gays and lesbians against the recent immigrant rights movement?
Comments
Itls funny that this is the article today. I havn’t visited for a week or so… I’m Canadian and just tonight my girlfriend, an American, and I ended our relationship.
We were together for 2 years. Just recently I came home to find some sort of way to make it to the US legally. I qualify for H-1B but couldn’t find anything. Her job requires focus and doesn’t allow relocation. She couldn’t take the separation anymore. Too draining, too hard to continue with no sign of the end.
With any sort of gay rights, this wouldn’t have happened. I hope they take a lesson from my country. I don’t wish this to happen again to anyone.
A real working relationship that never got the chance to be all that it could have.
Immigration is everyone’s right! You should be able to sponsor the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. That’s it. It’s simple. With no laws or rights, you are taking away so much opportunity both for the country and the people involved.
Don’t let it go on like this. Speak up and let everyone know that it’s not right and not fair.