What would you do? You have been with your partner for 10 years, but all of her options to stay in the U.S. have run out. No more travel or student visas, no more money for lawyers. She is from one of 24 countries around the world which in some form or another recognize your relationship. Your own country wants to tear your family apart, so you choose to leave friends and relatives behind, and travel for your love, your life.
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The emotionally and financially draining attempt to keep binational same-sex partners together in the U.S. was the focus of a forum Oct. 18, sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign and other gay-rights groups. Seven people, some risking their immigration status, told their own immigration nightmares.
The "Up Against a Wall" town hall meeting, held at Ann Sather's on Belmont, was primarily focused on changing the U.S laws that keep same-sex partners apart. Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in Congress, the Permanent Partners Immigration Act, which would modify the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide same-sex partners of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents the same immigration rights legal spouses of U.S. residents enjoy.
About 75 people attended the forum, many of them fearful of losing their own immigration status.
U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a long-time supporter of gay rights since his days as a city alderman, listened patiently as three gay and lesbian couples, and a former Chicago resident now living with her partner in Germany, told their very personal and emotional stories about dealing with anti-gay laws and bureaucratic nightmares.
Gutierrez is one of several members of the Illinois congressional delegation who are co-sponsors of the Permanent Partners bill. However, while most of those who do not support the measure are the usual anti-gay suspects ( Lipinski, Hyde, Crane, Biggert, Weller, Kirk, Hastert, Johnson, Manzullo, LaHood, Phelps and Shimkus ) , one surprise is U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich, a North Side Chicago Democrat with a large gay constituency and a 90% pro-gay voting rating from HRC. Blagojevich is also running for governor of Illinois. His office confirmed with HRC last week that he has still not signed on as a co-sponsor, but HRC believes he will eventually back the bill.
HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg told Windy City Times that representatives of HRC and members of Blagojevich's district recently met with him about a variety of issues, including the Partners bill. "Our understanding is he will be" co-sponsoring, she said. U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Gutierrez and Danny Davis all signed onto the bill as co-sponsors the day it was introduced several months ago.
"This is a long-term project. We have 84 current cosponsors. That is a significant demonstration of support, but we have a lot further we all need to go to educate Congress, this nation, about what can be horrific stories about people in love being pulled apart," Stachelberg said.
"In addition to HRC lobbyists, as important if not more are people from the various districts reaching out to their representatives...that's the best way to encourage and to secure support," she added.
Post-Sept. 11, panelists expressed concern that immigration will now be even more difficult to obtain.
The evening began with the story of [ Name Deleted ] and his partner of four years, [ Name Deleted ] . They met at a gay bar in Brazil while [ Name Deleted ] was teaching, and [ Name Deleted ] was working in a bookstore. They lived in Brazil at first, and coped with the death of [ Name Deleted ] mother. Then [ Name Deleted ] own mother was near her death and asked her son and son-in-law to come back to the states to live. [ Name Deleted ] left his family behind and has not been able to visit them because he worries he would not be allowed back in the U.S.
[ Name Deleted ] and [ Name Deleted ] , and all of the panelists, gave detailed histories of just how difficult it is to deal with immigration bureaucracy and double standards in the U.S. law. People from other countries are forced to jump through expensive and convoluted hoops to stay with their partners, using a series of options including tourist, student and work visas.
Jakki Shaw of the United Kingdom and Erin Burrell of Indiana related their own financial nightmare after meeting and falling in love in England five years ago. The couple have alternated back and forth supporting one another financially, with some help from family members. Shaw has experienced interrogations each time she's entered the U.S., and her current work visa expires in 2002. She and Burrell, who live in Chicago, will be forced to move back to England; because the law there is more liberal, Burrell should be able to obtain a work visa.
Venezuela native Alberto Senior and his partner of two years Rev. Stan Sloan ( who is president of Chicago House ) , said they don't want to be forced to go to Venezuela to be together. "This is my home," Senior said. He is a volunteer for numerous AIDS, gay and mainstream charities, and he has a master's in fine arts. "It's very unfair and it feels horrible. I've brought here nothing but good," Senior said.
"This makes me more and more angry," said HRC's Tom Chaderjian, after hearing the testimonies. He said the right wing says its promotes family values, but they oppose helping to keep same-sex families together.
Playwright Lydia Stryk, a former Illinois resident who is in town to see rehearsals for her play The Glamour House at Victory Gardens, also spoke about her own 10-year relationship with a foreigner. Her partner lives in Germany, so that is also where Stryk makes her home. They were among people lobbying for change in that country...and that change did come this summer. Germany now allows same-sex partners of its citizens to have legal rights. While not the same as full marriage, it is far ahead of Stryk's options in her own country.
Other speakers included representatives from the Heartland Alliance's Midwest Human Rights Partnership for Sexual Orientation ( 312-660-1370 ) , People for the American Way ( which just opened an Illinois office ) , HRC, and the ACLU Gay and Lesbian Rights Project.
For details, call ( 312 ) 409-9129, or see www.hrc.org/issues/immigration.