A Sullivan reader shares their experience:
I am an American and worked in Telecommunication Wireless for 17 years. I met an Israeli 11 years ago in Florida where I was living. Six months later I moved to NYC to be with him. He advised me of his immigration problem and I began doing research, met with Immigration Equality in Manhattan, met with one of the best immigration attorneys. I quickly realized there was nothing that could be done except to live in fear - quietly under the radar, which we have done for over a decade, always afraid that a traffic stop could end my wonderful life with my partner.
I am happy that you, being more educated, were able to finally solve this and obtain a green card. Here is the sad story for my partner and I: we are both uneducated.
No college degree, so we were even more discriminated on than you and your partner. I still live in fear and hiding. Everything is in my name. He is unable to travel to Israel to see his brother’s four children. I have flown to Israel twice to see his family there without him. You know the pain and fear we live in and [we] still have no hope until DOMA is gone or PPIA is passed.
Good people are still being hurt by this indecent, inhumane, bigoted law. Don’t forget these peoples’ stories. Obama’s decision to cease enforcement is admirable, but hardly conclusive. Everyday that DOMA continues to exist, folks like the couple above must still live cloaked in a shroud of perpetual fear and doubt that, at any moment, their lives will be destroyed by the government. And for what? Who’s marriage will be “saved” by this? Will a troubled married couple suddenly decide not to divorce if this reader’s spouse gets deported? The logic of this law beggars reason. And yet it continues. And our fellow citizens suffer.
Update: Youthisastateofmind notes that “the first challenge to Sec. 3 of DOMA to hit the Circuit Courts was Gill v. OPM, argued 4/4/12, awaiting a decision. PDF of all the cases.” Link to docs: glad.org/uploads…“
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youthisastateofmind said: Don’t know how closely you’ve been following this, but the first challenge to Sec. 3 of DOMA to hit the Circuit Courts was Gill v. OPM, argued 4/4/12, awaiting a decision. PDF of all the cases: glad.org/uploads…
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lalibertarienne reblogged this from letterstomycountry and added:
If only the governmnent didn’t have dominion over marriage.
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