PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Urge Rep Obey-Peterson-Skelton-Spratt-Thompson to support Equal Immigration Rights for LGBT Couples
  1. Signatures
    315 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. Rep. John Spratt (+ 4 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Rep. John Spratt (SC-05)
      • Rep. Dave Obey (WI-07)
      • Rep. Collin Peterson (MN-07)
      • Rep. Ike Skelton (MO-04)
      • Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
  2. Created By
    Amos Lim
    San Francisco, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter

On Dec 16th, 2009, Rep Gutierrez jump started the Comprehensive Immigration Reform debate by introducing a CIR bill called "Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act" (CIR ASAP).  We are disappointed that however he left out LGBT Families or the language of Uniting American Families Act in his CIR bill.

If you have not participated in our petition to express disappointment at our exclusion, I would urge you to do so.  The link can be found here.

We are however continuing to educate our representatives and our senators about the importance of the passage of Uniting American Families Act as well as ensuring that LGBT Families are included in any CIR bill.

On February 9th, 60 members of congress from the the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus sent a letter to President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen Schumer, Rep Lofgren expressing their strong support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would end discrimination against LGBT binational families.

Just last week, Rep Rick Larsen (D-WA-2) signed on as a UAFA co-sponsor!  Your letter writing and participation in our weekly activities is working!  Therefore, we should keep the pressure up and make sure that congress understand the issue and includes our families in any Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Please join us this week as we urge Rep. David Obey (WI-7), Rep. Colin Peterson (MN-7), Rep. Ike Skelton (MO-4), Rep. John Spratt (SC-5), Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-2) to support and sponsor the Uniting American Families Act.

We encourage you to take part in this campaign by using one of four options:

(1) The easiest one.   By clicking through and adding your name to this page, you would have sent ALL FIVE of the letters AT ONCE.  You can also provide the link to your friends and family to take action too!;

(2) Contact the 5 senators here with your own letter, your own story; or

(3) Creating a booklet telling your story. See http://tinyurl.com/o4i-toolkit1 for more info on this option.

(4) Check out other actions on change.org's action page and sign the other week's action too to urge the other members of congress to sponsor and support the passage of Uniting American Families Act.

Thank you for taking action!

Out4Immigration is an all grassroots organization.  Each week we write to a list of representatives in Congress or the Senate to ask them to support equal immigration rights for Same-Sex Binational couples and to become a cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act(UAFA) and to support an inclusive Comprehensive Immigration Reform that includes LGBT Families

Recent Signatures

Please sign on to support Equal Immigration Rights for Same-Sex Binational Couples

Dear Congressman,

I am writing to ask you for your support by becoming a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 1024 /UAFA; S. 424) sponsored in the House by Rep. Jerrold Nadler and in the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy and to support an inclusive Comprehensive Immigration Reform that includes LGBT Families.

I know people directly affected by the current unfair immigration policies in this country that deny lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Americans the right to sponsor their permanent partner to live with them in the United States.

As you may be aware, these Americans in loving and committed relationships are often forced to make heartbreaking decisions to maintain their relationship. More often than not, these include having to leave the United States in order to be with the person they love. These American citizens are forced to give up careers, leave behind aging parents and young adult children who rely on them and leave a community which benefits from their ongoing and active participation.

Both the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) and the Reuniting Families Act (RFA) simply seek to provide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered U.S. citizens and permanent residents the right to sponsor their partner for immigration. Each bill outlines the same process and penalties that are applied in heterosexual partner (i.e., marriage or fiancée) sponsorship applications. By co-sponsoring these bills, you are showing your dedication to equality and the belief that no American should be forced to choose between their country and the person they love.

Thank you for your time on this important matter. I hope that your name will be added to the list co-sponsors on these bills, and you will support their inclusion in any discussions concerning Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Respectfully,

[Your name]

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