Yesterday the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) .  This legislation " would provide a mechanism [...] to allow U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents in binational same-sex relationships to sponsor their foreign born partner for immigration benefits to the U.S. " (for info, see Immigration Equality , also coverage in the NYT and CNN ; for hearing info, including witness testimonies see Judiciary Committee website here )

According to Immigration Equality "there are an estimated 35,820 binational same-sex couples who reported to the most recent Census." 

I don't know what the odds are of UAFA receiving committee approval (not to mention actually passing the labirynth that is congress ), but it draws much needed attention to this discriminatory immigration practice.  It is also an important reminder that even though six states now recognize same-sex marriage (yay! ), without overturning DOMA, committed same-sex couples are still precluded from more than 1,138 rights and protections conferred to U.S. citizens upon marriage by the federal government (according to the federal government's Governmental Accountability Office).

The response from opponents has been predictable (and sort of hysterical only because it's so ridiculous ):

Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, the chairman of the Catholic bishops’ Committee on Migration, wrote that the UAFA would “'erode the institution of marriage and family,' by taking a position 'that is contrary to the very nature of marriage which pre-dates the Church and the State.'" 

(the UAFA doesn't have anything to do with marriage, it simply provides for "permanent partnerships" for committed adults who intend to spend the res of their lives together.  Not everything is about you, ok?.)

Jessica M. Vaughan, of the Center for Immigration Studies (a group that supports a restrictive immigration policy and the deportation of illegal immigrants) exclaims: "Without documents, how do you establish the relationship is bona fide?"

(right, it's the piece of paper that verifies whether a couple is legit...not the years spent living their lives together. Not to mention the fact that the Department of Homeland Security would apply the same standards to permanent partnerships to determine if they are genuine as those used to determine whether marraiges are genuine )

Obviously, the UAFA is not a substitute for federally recognized same-sex marriage (down with DOMA! ), but an intermediate step to equality.  And should it pass (one can hope! ) nearly 40,000 couples will at least have the opportunity to live (and love ) within the same borders.  (and we all know we could use a bit more love around here, eh? )

PS.  I'd also like to note that this is only part of the many many changes I believe should happen with regards to immigration.

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