A ‘No’ to Immigration Equality?
Where is the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)? Why does the US Armed Forces’ anti-gay Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) remain untouched? And now is immigration equality on the back burner too?
House proponents of comprehensive immigration reform unveiled an ambitious proposal last week with much fanfare, but lost in the buzz was that their bill isn’t entirely comprehensive: They intentionally left out protections for gay and lesbian immigrants.
A bill introduced earlier this year by Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) dealing with family reunification policies for immigrants was completely rolled into the reform package, except for its provisions allowing same-sex partners of permanent residents to qualify for a visa. The decision behind the little-noted change sparked friction between liberals hoping to kick off debate with an all-inclusive bill and Hispanic leaders more focused on keeping religious leaders on board with the plan.
“All the evangelists, Catholics and churches that are part of this were whacking out” over the gay and lesbian provisions, said a Democratic lawmaker familiar with negotiations on the bill.
The lawmaker said Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who has led the House effort on comprehensive immigration reform, initially “didn’t want to deal with it. At all.” Then he tried to work out a “stupid” compromise whereby the same-sex partner provisions would be in the bill but they wouldn’t take effect for five or six years, said this Member.
But some liberals argued the idea was “really bad” since Hispanic lawmakers have strongly opposed an effort by the Senate to impose a similar five-year waiting period for immigrants to receive benefits under health care reform, said the lawmaker. A multiyear delay for same-sex partners would likely result in “more criticism for this stupid deal than for leaving it out,” said the House Democrat.
The decision was finally made to offer an amendment to the bill when it comes before the Judiciary Committee in February.
Will an amendment materialise in February? The jury’s most definitely out. Is a compromise being worked out whereby the Catholic Church will support a deal on immigration equality as long as it’s covert, as the article goes on to suggest? Or is the current exclusion down to a cultural prejudice of other minority lawmakers? Anyone would think we’re entering an election year in the US. Rachel Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality said:
that her group was “disappointed” not to see the sought-after provisions—but she said Immigration Equality remained hopeful that Gutierrez, a longtime ally of the LGBT community, would support future measures: ” [ W ] e have every expectation that he will continue to work on behalf of our families as lawmakers tackle this critically important issue.”
Speaking as a gay American with a British husband I’m not going to hold my breath.
“Don’t tell me to wait for my freedom”
During the campaign for the Democratic nomination Obama gave one interview to an LGBT publication in which he said the following:
Anybody who’s been at an LGBT event with me can testify that my message is very explicit — I don’t think that the gay and lesbian community, the LGBT community, should take its cues from me or some political leader in terms of what they think is right for them. It’s not my place to tell the LGBT community, “Wait your turn.” I’m very mindful of Dr. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” where he says to the white clergy, “Don’t tell me to wait for my freedom.”
He repeated this point, as President, in his speech tonight to the Human Rights Campaign.
Here’s my tweets as I listened to his speech.
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner “I love you Barack” “I love you back”
pauloCanning:#hrc dinner Obama: “It is a privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady GaGa”
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner He’s referencing Stonewall as ‘inspiring’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner simple message “here with you in that fight”
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘it’s not for me to tell you to be patient’ – as with civil rights – now I’m teary
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘you know – and I know – we don’t want to be defined by one part of us that makes us whole’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘Do not doubt the direction we’re heading +the destination we will reach’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘we will put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘we’re pushing for a employee non-discrimination bill. we’re ging to put a stop to it.’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘we are rescinding the ban on entering US based on HIV status’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘I will end DADT, that’s my commitment to you’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘I’ve called on Congress to repeal DOMA’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘It’s about our common humanity, our ability to walk in someone else’s shoes’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner now he’s talking about PFLAG ‘that’s the story of America’
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner ‘tonight somewhere in America a young person … ‘ THAT’S leadership
pauloCanning: #hrc dinner brilliant rhetoric, worried by the look on his face
The speech was amazing. Historic.
Like the audience, who spent most of their time on their feet, I was really moved to hear a US President say what he said. His last flourish, which stuck progress of LGBT equality firmly into the mainstream of the ‘American dream’, I couldn’t capture quickly enough. It was his classic rhetorical end flourish and he stuck it firmly onto the LGBT cause.
But, but … perhaps that’s why I noticed the look. He wasn’t smiling. He knew that outside the cheering crowd he faced weren’t just pissed LGBT at the lack of actual progress on issue after issue but a mountain of opposition to everything he’d pledged.
Remember, this was the day on which he’d been awarded the Nobel. On what he represents he’d got that acknowledgment and that’s a f*cking heavy burden.
I wish I’d captured that exact look as he walked off the stage because it seemed to me one of a man who believed what he’d said, every word, but understood fully what ‘change’ actually means.
A bitter, bitter fight lies behind “don’t tell me to wait for my freedom”. As always, it’s accompanied by the background/backroom faint (to some) buzz accompanying it in the LGBT movement between those who would be inside and those who’d be outside, demanding.
Tomorrow’s LGBT march on the Capitol is for the demanders and something tells me Obama is with them.
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