By Melanie Nathan, May 11, 2012. BOSTON – Following President Obama’s announcement to support same sex marriage, Senator John Kerry, along with 16 of his Senate colleagues, today renewed their call for the Obama Administration to protect married gay and lesbian couples facing possible deportation. In a letter sent to the U.S. Attorney General and […]
Melanie Nathan’s Response to Dustin Lance Black’s Threat Against Support for President Obama
By Melanie Nathan, April 29, 2012 It was difficult for me to read Dustin Lance Black’s outlandish article on the Hollywood Reporter. I found it to be irresponsible, unsophisticated and quite poorly written. I sent my detailed response to the piece to both ‘The Advocate’ and ‘LGBTQ Nation’ which are publications I have written several […]
DOMA Bans Green Cards for Gay Couples Notes Andrew Sullivan on CNN
No one should have to choose between Spouse and Country By Melanie Nathan, April 23, 2012 It is a rare day that we find an opportunity to declare the plight of binational couples on mainstream television. Andrew Sullivan had that chance and although he spoke eloquently to his personal journey toward immigration in the USA, […]
Immigration Equality Fails Binational Same-Sex Couples Again
Immigration Equality Seeks to blame Obama Administration for its own ineffectiveness and fainting mission By Melanie Nathan, February 23, 2012 Andrew Harmon at the Advocate reports that The Obama Administration held talks with LGBT groups on January 30, and the “big ask” was rejected. “While the administration has taken affirmative steps in recent months to […]
Speaker Boehner Wastes Taxpayers Money as he Loses to Lesbian in Ruling
By Melanie Nathan, February 22, 2012. San Francisco – Speaker Boehner had made an attempt to fight the Karen Golinski’s case in her quest to seek health care benefits from the court when her Federal employer had declined to provide them, citing the Defense of Marriage Act as reason for its denial. The speaker lost […]
U.S. Department of Justice Fights DOMA in Golinski Case
by Melanie Nathan, Dec 18, 2011 “Tony West Assistant Attorney General from the U.S. Department of Justice notes one of the greatest moments in his career was when Karen Golinski thanked him for the DOJ position in her case.” SEE UPDATE Below – case has been ruled. On Friday in San Francisco, the Justice Department […]
Senator Chuck Schumer Fails Binational Same Sex Couples while Providing New VISAS for Irish
by Melanie Nathan – Dec 12, 2011 Please watch the Video below which was recorded on June03, 2009. Nothing has happened out of Congress for binationals since Schumer made these statements. To pitch VISAS for new immigrants is disingenuous until such time as interim VISAS can be provided for same-sex couples by Congress. The Irish […]
Adviser to Ugandan President Speaks Against Hillary Clinton’s Pro Gay Tone
by Melanie Nathan, December 11, 2011 Last week Secretary Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama in a statements and memo, respectively, called for sweeping pro LGBTI foreign policy and human rights recognition, noting emerging assistance for LGBT organizations and asylum seekers, worldwide. Calling discrimination of homosexual and transgender people “one of the remaining human rights […]
LGBT Foreign Policy Applauded AND Human Rights should Start at Home with Fiance Visas and Greencards for Same-sex Couples
Pro-Gay Foreign Policy Applauded, YET Obama Administration Fails Binationals at home; surely being separated from fiance’s and spouses is a human rights issue too? Melanie Nathan by Melanie Nathan, Dec 06, 2011 Building on pro-gay policies put in place by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President Obama today ordered overseas federal agencies to fight local […]
Binationals UAFA Died on June 4, 2009 – and now DOMA is Killing us!
I received a note via Face Book today containing this picture of a Binational separated from her spouse. My anger was triggered and I ran to blame! I blame Immigration Equality for the death of UAFA (Uniting American Families Act)! Now we must focus on the repeal of DOMA- its too late for UAFA! Without […]
Watch Immigration Equality’s Rachel Tiven, Admitting Sell out of Same-sex Binational Couples
By Melanie Nathan, 08/10/2011 In the name of Immigration for all, Rachel Tiven Executive Director of Immigration Equality, is seen on this Video justifying why her organization employed a strategy that served to sell out UAFA – The Uniting American Families Act. UAFA would have provided same-sex binational spouses with greencards. Instead of pursuing UAFA […]
First-Ever Congressional Hearing on Repeal of DOMA Marriage Discrimination Law
July, 20, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, (WASHINGTON, DC) – At today the US Senate Judiciary Committee held the first-ever hearing on repealing the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act, ” highlighting the harms that the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” causes loving, committed same-sex couples and their families. The Respect for Marriage Act, sponsored by Senator […]
Breaking President Obama Endorses DOMA Repeal
July 19, 2011, Melanie Nathan, Today White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced the President will endorse the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA, (The Defense of Marriage Act, which discriminates against same-sex marriage) ! The White House endorsing legislation that has yet to pass either house of Congress — is extremely rare, […]
Binational Spouse Obtains Deportation Reprieve from San Francisco Immigration Judge
July 13, 2011, Posted by Melanie Nathan, SAN FRANCISCO, CA – This morning in San Francisco, Doug Gentry and Alex Benshimol — a married binational same-sex couple — appeared before Immigration Judge Marilyn Teeter for a deportation hearing and were permitted to remain in the country despite the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the law […]
Senator Patrick Leahy Announces DOMA Repeal Hearing
July 12, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, Today, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced a hearing on the Respect for Marriage Act, the bill that would overturn DOMA, scheduled for Wednesday July 20th. The hearing will be the first time Congress has heard testimony on legislation that would end federal marriage […]
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Signs Marriage Equality Act into Law – Asking Obama to go Cuomo on DOMA!
June 24, 2011, by Melanie Nathan In thirty days same-sex couples will be able to marry in New York State. The Marriage equality Bill was signed into law today mere hours after it was passed by the New York State Senate, in a 33 to 29 vote, exceeding the swing by more than the expected […]
Petition Plea to Senator Feinstein – Green Cards – Special Visa – Same-Sex Spouses
06/04/2011, Posted by Melanie Nathan, Note: This letter has been submitted by OUT 4 Immigration, whom I consider to be the most sincere and miraculous group in the LGBT community with regard to the plight of same-sex couples who have no immigration equality under the federal law of the U.S.A. Dear Senator Feinstein — For […]
Apartheid Against LGBTI Americans – A View via the Hate Speech Ruling for South African Envoy to Uganda Jon Qwelane
06/02/2011, by Melanie Nathan, When I immigrated to the United States in 1985, I marveled at the U.S. Constitution. It protected everything. I left a place where it was constitutional to discriminate – in fact it was required that one discern between races when it came to where people could live, who could vote and […]
Lesbian Spouses Torn Apart – Fight for Bi-national Immigration Equality
QUOTES: New York Civil Liberties Union: “Citizen Non-Citizen” highlights the heart-wrenching story of Britta and Carla, a married same-sex bi-national couple living in New York City fighting to stay together in the United States. We’d like to honor the fact that Britta and Carla have been dedicated activists, and indeed without their efforts, and courage […]
CRUSADES vs. GAYS – The Manhattan Declaration- where does it lead? Church’s Hate Gay Agenda
I wrote this Article for Lez Get Real and have received many anti-gay comments.:Feel free to go to LGR site and comment – thanks for your support UPDATED: By now we have all heard about the Manhattan Declaration put out by various religious right figures and groups urging, among other things, non-cooperation with laws that […]
Political Proctologist speaks her mind: “The Anus and the Law”
However today I awake to the reality of this Dr. Ruth Jacobs – a metaphor for the times – Maine, California, a never to be repealed DADT and DOMA – a few miserable tokenistic crumbs hailed as progress; – and what do we get Ruth Jacobs equating my right to marry to an anus and what should come out and not go in.
Melanie Nathan Calls for Moratorium as US Citizen’s Brazilian
Tuesday 27th October I blogged for : Melanie Nathan Calls for Moratorium as US Citizen’s Brazilian same-sex husband denied asylum .. Tagged with: Brazil Brazillian Defense of Marriage Act DOMA John Kerry Junior Oliveira Kerry Marriage Melanie Nathan Obama Same-sex marriage Tim Coco UAFA United States Uniting American Families Act USA BOSTON — Associated Press reports today that a gay Brazilian man has been denied asylum by the Obama administration […]
I AM HERE WITH YOU IN THAT FIGHT and yet I give as much as the law allows?
I was skeptical about President Obama’s speech and yet hopeful. The short version of this post is that I was generally pleased. Of course I could highlight what was left out and the uncertainties that remain for our full equality, yet my ‘glass half full’ beckons and I succumb! Admittedly, the strongest language yet from […]
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
“Hun, we live in a world where peoples are often so full of fear which is usually because of ignorance, – there are all sorts of different families – but they have usually only experienced their own. The unknown teririfies them; so they lash out in this way. What you heard on that ad, was unfair and contorted, but that is how the people who are against the idea of same-sex marriage think they can get other people to join their way of thinking.”
I provided more reassurance as best I could. A few more questions and answers later we arrived at school, and went on with the next two weeks, during which time HC and my four year old accompanied me to various “NO ON 8” rallies; “no on 8, no on 8,” a battle cry still performed by my 4 year old whenever she sees the number 8, whether in the market, at school or in the movies.
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