One of the most astounding victories of the immigration rallies of the past few weeks was the addition of DREAM Act and AgJobs provisions in proposed legislation in the U.S. Senate. Yet nowhere is the Uniting American Families Act mentioned. This bill would grant immigration benefits to same-sex binational couples.
The DREAM (Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act would grant residency to undocumented students seeking to go to college, providing smart and hard working kids a fair shot at success. AgJobs – another immigration proposal – would provide immigration relief to farm workers who toil daily at backbreaking jobs in order to supply the bounty of meat, grain, fruits, and vegetables on the American dinner table. Both are important pieces of legislation that would help LGBTQ undocumented students and farm workers, and they should have strong support from our community.
But the bill that lives deep in my heart is UAFA. It would grant same-sex couples the same immigration benefits currently afforded only to opposite-sex couples. Countless binational same-sex couples have no recourse whatsoever to obtain immigration relief for the foreign partner, and this bill is the only measure that would help them. Sadly, it was never even part of the debate, leaving these families hanging.
It is simple to see why. When I participated in the hunger strike for immigration justice in San Francisco last month with my partner Leslie Bulbuk, we were the only people representing LGBTQ immigrants, along with Claudia Cabrera-Lara, who spoke at the rally in front of Senator Dianne Feinstein's (D-California) office about how immigration impacts the LGBTQ community. Yes, there were LGBTQ people involved in the planning and implementation of the week of action, but most were representing the broader immigration movement. They were the children of immigrants and were attending in support of their families, or they were immigration advocates. I am dismayed that of the thousands who showed up, the openly LGBTQ people at the rally were ones not currently directly affected by the issue that UAFA would address. They were there to express their support for the immigrant struggle, because they understand that an offense to one is an offense to all. But, where were the binational couples and their supporters in our community?
Binational couples would be terribly affected by HR 4437, the draconian bill by Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R- Wisconsin) that passed the House last December. This bill would not only target all immigrants regardless of status, but potentially their American partners. Binational same-sex couples rely on a wide array of visas to remain together, and all immigrants are under attack by anti-immigrant forces in D.C., not just undocumented immigrants. In addition, many couples find that the only solution to their immigration problem is for the foreigner to remain in the U.S. undocumented. If gay-friendly San Francisco saw no binational same-sex couples or broader LGBTQ support at the protests, I assume that neither did other cities. I sincerely hope I am wrong.
It is no surprise then that the UAFA is excluded from the broader immigration debate. As thousands of students walked out of their classrooms, savvy politicos in D.C. rushed to add DREAM Act-language to the legislation. As thousands of farm workers let their disgust at their treatment be known, AgJOBS followed. But almost no rainbow flags were seen in pictures from the first wave of protests around the country. In San Francisco, we only saw one. Therefore, UAFA and the people it would help remain excluded and forgotten. We need to give a little bit of ourselves to the cause to be taken seriously.
John F. Kennedy once challenged our nation by saying, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Likewise, we should ask ourselves, "What will we do to help the LGBTQ immigration movement?" The most devoted advocate can only do so much without the support of the broader LGBTQ community. Give a little bit.
The students who joined us on the march from the Federal Building to Senator Feinstein's office on March 27 may face three months suspension for leaving their schools. What would you have lost for supporting a hunger strike over the weekend? Give a little bit.
As long as the LGBTQ community refuses to embrace other movements, and refuses to allow itself the opportunity to be embraced by these movements, our issues will be forgotten and swept under the rug as issues of no consequence. Why would they have any consequence if we ourselves are unwilling to stand up for our rights? We need a place at the table, yes, but we also need to show up at the table. We cannot skip dinner and then complain that we did not get fed. Give a little bit.
It is the responsibility of each and every one of us who seeks immigration justice for all families – LGBTQ or not – to step up to the plate and fully participate in the democratic process readily available and at our disposal. If we do so, we may have UAFA-like language included in broader immigration reform in the future. If not, we will have only ourselves to blame. We must give a little bit.
Marta Donayre is a co-founder of Love Sees No Borders. She is also a member of the leadership council and comprehensive immigration reform committee of the Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition. For a video of Love Sees No Borders' participation in the hunger strike, please visit www.loveseesnoborders.org.