Obama Long on Promises, Short on Specifics

There is now an open discussion forum for binational same sex couples where nothing is off topic and we can brainstorm, vent, and share. Hopefully we will find more avenues that just letter-writing. Something must be done asap - our plight is cruel, and we are in dire need of action. Join us at ctae.open-board.com.

I agree with many of the recent posts and have a similar story. I was disappointed that President Obama made no mention of immigration rights for same-sex bi-national couples and the Uniting American Families Act, legislation which has been introduced in both houses of Congress. As other posters have demonstrated with their stories of separation from partners and/or children, arrest, detention, and living in exile, immigration reform that includes LGBT families is vital to tens of thousands of people. My partner of four years is from Europe and we are currently apart. My greatest fear is that UAFA will not pass and we will not be able to find a way to be together again.

I actually found the speech incredibly moving, and I am among those who felt the heat of June with the DOMA brief, and the betrayal it represents to so many of us. I watched thinking of a brother 19 years dead from AIDS, and my time with him in those last couple of years of his life, and realize just how far we have come. But is it enough? No, nowhere near! I listened very closely to the President's words in the speech and I think he might YET be seen as a master of the incremental, in a way few of us see, and none of us can trust. I mean, how would you feel about the speech looking back in two years, say, and UAFA had passed, and DADT was over, and the end of DOMA was in active negotiation? We'd love him. It might just be my wishful thinking but I'm still open to that being how it all plays out. But for now I must remind him and all our elected reps: IT'S OUR COMMUNITY TOO! THE ONLY WAY TO DO RIGHT BY YOUR LGBT BROTHERS AND SISTERS IS TO REPRESENT THAT FACT WITH HEART, AND ACT.

My partner lives in Argentina. I have tried to sponsor him to attend college here in Pennsylvania. Accepted at the college, he went for his visa interview and was denied twice. Then he tried for a visitors visa and was denied before the interviewer ever read any of the documentation he had. The Uniting American Families Act would allow me to sponsor him to come live here with me just like a heterosexual couple would be allowed to live together with no hassles from Immigration. President Obama never mentioned UAFA or UFA (Uniting Families Act) during his speech. We need Comprehensive Immigration Reform to include ALL families, heterosexual and same-gender families, to allow the thousands of loving families separated because of the discriminatory immigration laws. LET OUR FAMILY IN!

I am an American citizen currently living in Canada with my partner. I have been with my partner for over six years. We met in Oregon in 2003. My partner had filed an asylum claim in 2002 but due to the one-year deadline rule enacted by Congress in 1996 her case had a dismal chance of being approved so with no other options for us I along with my partner filed for asylum in Canada in January 2005. Yes that is right an American citizen had to ask for protection so her family would not be separated. I ended up withdrawing my claim once my partner was approved but I still am being forced to live in exile from my own country--the USA. Even though we are legally married here and have been since March 2005 we are still not recognized due to DOMA. Mr. President and HRC DOMA is unconstitutional. The bans all across the country against same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. American exiles need action NOW! We need the United American Families Act passed or CIR NOW!

I too was disappointed the president did not mention one of the main LGBT agenda items --- UAFA which would allow a gay citizen to sponsor his/her foreign born permanent partner to live in the US (get a green card). Straight couples can do this, so this is merely equal rights. The White House has said in the past that they support gay couples for immigration (UAFA) as part of the comprehensive immigration reform bill. Has the White House dropped this support now? What happened? We have an inclusive hate crimes bill, and inclusive ENDA on deck.......why can't they speak up about an inclusive immigration bill? Gays are part of the Democratic coalition, part of Obama's coalition. We should not be excluded from this right.

I was very disappointed that President Obama did not mention anything regarding bi-national couples separated from their partners and those of us living in exile in foreign countries. We moved (my French partner and I) to France so we could continue being together 3 and a half years ago after living together in Los Angeles (our home) for 12 years, we have been together over 15 years. His employer, a French company went out of business so his work visa was not able to be renewed. We are both in our mid forties and had spent years building our life together only to have discriminatory laws destroy everything. I had to walk away from a business and a career I had spent years building. We had to sell our home and most of our possessions, leave our friends and community only to move to a place we do not want to be that is not our home. Both of us used to work in the US but here we live on one low salary. The worst is being separated from our elderly parents who need us.

Has HRC forgotten about separated gay couples. It seems to me that HRC is just a money raiser for Democratic Party. Gay issues are not Democratic Party issues, but human rights issue. Joe makes more then 200K a year, he is rich white guy who is not forced to choose between his loved one and his country. I was donating to HRC on the regular, but after HRC could not even find time to respond to my one simply question I stopped. They do not want to finish with gay equality any time soon. Come on guys who will be donating to them, and where Joe will get his other 200K plus job. Our equality can be achieved by one bill and that is full equality true the repeal of DOMA. But doing bill by bill and letting Obama of the hook till 2017 is they way to keep the bank full. Shame on Obama and HRC for not mentioning about UAFA.

My partner overstayed her student visa to be with our children and I. We have 2 beautiful girls together. She was arrested and detained by INS. We had no money to fight for her to stay in US, so she voluntary left US so she would not be in detention any longer. After 3 months being separated I decided to get kids out of school and move with Lee. We could not sale our house because of the recession. Now we live with Lee’s parents in Thailand, kids miss school and friends, but they are happy to be with their mom. I myself have sick father, and probable would not be able to see him since I can not afford a trip back to US. I was sad and with broken heart accepted that Obama and HRC forgot about us, Saturday night. We need UAFA to be included in CIR or UAFA to go alone as stand alone bill. We want to live where we belong and that is US. Please help us so we can return back home.

I had to leave America 3 years ago to be with my loved one. He lived with me in Mobile, AL for 4 years. He had a student visa, and when his education was completed he had to leave USA. We hoped he will be able to come back again on tourist visa, but he got denied, after being separated for 6 months, I decided to sale my house, and leave everything. Now we live in Serbia, it is not so friendly to gay people, but we have no choice. He works, but it is hard to support both of us on 500 euros a month, I still have some savings but it is going to run out soon. We anxiously watched Obama to mention us, but no mention of LGTB inclusion in Immigration reform. I ask all my gay brothers and sister to help me got back to my country, but together with my partner true CIR and gay inclusion or passage of UAFA.