Uniting American Families
We are interested in raising the extremely important issue of keeping American families intact by legalizing immigration benefits for same sex partners of US citizens (and permanent residents). The US is sorely behind many other developed and developing countries, such as Brazil, South Africa, Israel, France, and the United Kingdom, on this issue. While it would be possible for us, as a binational same sex couple, to immigrate to Canada or Australia, for example, based on the eligibility of one of us, we cannot sponsor each other for legal immigration in our respective countries, the US and Mexico. We are outraged that we cannot live together freely in these United States. In order for us to remain together, I, the US partner, must spend tens of thousands of dollars, which I cannot really afford, in order fully financially support my partner, including high out of state tuition bills for him to study full-time as he must remain on a student visa, which prohibits him from working, in order to stay legally in the US. Civil marriage has absolutely nothing to do with religion of any kind or in any shape or form. Marriage aside, the permission of a US citizen to sponsor his or her designated significant other (spouse or partner of the same or different sex) is a basic civil right and should apply to all US citizens equally! Shot for the presidential candidate debate in front of the National Constitution Center in our current hometown of Philadelphia, PA.
