The next step
To Whom It May Concern:
On July 30, President Bush signed into law the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ( PEPFAR ) bill, which, among other things, allows America to lift its shameful 20-year ban on immigrants, refugees and visitors with HIV. Now, only 11 countries in the world have such a ban, most of which are human-rights violators such as China, Libya, and Russia.
This is an important step toward making our nation's immigration laws more impartial. However, the ban is not yet lifted. The law bars those with 'communicable diseases of public significance' from entering the United States, and it is up to the Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) to decide which diseases belong on that list. In order for the HIV immigration ban to be lifted, as our Congress and our President intend, HHS must remove HIV from the list. HHS proposed removing HIV back in 1991, but met massive outrage from religious conservatives.We do not know how HHS will rule now, or how long this process will take. Until then, a ban on those with HIV is still in place.
The AIDS Legal Council of Chicago will be watching the HHS process closely and working with local community organizations to keep the community informed as changes are made. Until then, we will continue to help immigrants with the current HIV waiver process.
Ann Hilton Fisher
Executive Director, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago
Family affair
Dear Sens. McCain and Obama:
In light of recent events, I want to be certain that our presidential candidates truly understand the great diversity of American families and how best to meet their needs.
As a lesbian mother and the executive director of Family Equality Council, I know how hard parents work to raise happy, healthy children. Regardless of their sexual orientations and gender identities, regardless of how many parents or caregivers are present in a family, all parents begin each day with their children at the forefront of their thoughts. On behalf of diverse families, I present you with the following information on the variety of family types that exist in this country and ask for your plan to recognize, respect, protect and celebrate all of the loving families you seek to represent.
Policymakers, researchers, child-welfare professionals and advocates agree that strong families build strong societies. The problems we face are due to the lack of recognition of the many types of families and relationships that exist and the eroding support systems that protect all people in this country. We need a president who understands the complexity of American families and has real, workable solutions to the challenges we face.
Despite the images we may see in the media, in our schools and in our daily lives, American families are not all composed of married moms and dads raising their biological children:
—Thirty-seven percent of parent households with children in the home are not headed by married, heterosexual couples.
—Since 1940, grandparents have been the primary caregivers ( without biological parents in the home ) for approximately 2 percent of all children in this country, some 1.6 million children today.
—Forty percent of all children will likely be raised by unmarried partners living together for a portion of their lives.
—Lesbian and gay parents are raising four percent of all adopted children in the United States, as well as three percent of all children in foster care.
American families have real and immediate needs which require policies that recognize and protect them, not ignore and penalize them. These families, whether they are headed by LGBT parents, grandparents, single parents, unmarried parents or others, will continue to share in the joys and challenges all families face. They will do their jobs as well as they always have, but they would certainly benefit from a president who encourages social support for them and government recognition.
For all families in this country to thrive, we envision economic opportunities and living wages for all; quality, affordable and accessible healthcare; quality and affordable childcare for all children; public schools that lift our students up; and safe and affordable housing.
Until grandmothers and grandfathers can easily access the government benefits intended to keep their grandchildren healthy and safe; until LGBT parents can have their relationships universally and unquestionably recognized; until unmarried parents can access benefits without penalty or derision, we will not be doing justice by the millions of American families that do not fit a small minority's notion of what a 'real' family is.
Jennifer Chrisler
Executive Director
Family Equality Council
