The stupidity of DoMA hit home last night for me. We were out to dinner with two of our friends that are a lesbian couple and the conversation got around to the difficulty one was going to have in securing a visa when she finishes her studies in England this May. She has to secure a job first and then apply for the visa and deal with a whole drawn out tedious process before she can move here.
By contrast, my cousin recently moved home from Argentina where he lived for two years, and he brought home his girlfriend. He's planning to marry her in order for her to secure a green card so she can stay here. Whatever, not really fraud as they were likely to marry anyway, my countries immigration policies simply speed the process.
Even though gay marriage was recently legalized here in New York, that option isn't open to them because of the legislated discrimination known as the Defense of Marriage Act. The federal government does not recognize any of the gay marriages performed at the state level and thus, among many other things, they can't do the marriage for green card bit available to straight people. It's a small thing, sure, but I'd hate to be in their shoes with all the hurdles they have to clear just because of bigotry.
By contrast, my cousin recently moved home from Argentina where he lived for two years, and he brought home his girlfriend. He's planning to marry her in order for her to secure a green card so she can stay here. Whatever, not really fraud as they were likely to marry anyway, my countries immigration policies simply speed the process.
Even though gay marriage was recently legalized here in New York, that option isn't open to them because of the legislated discrimination known as the Defense of Marriage Act. The federal government does not recognize any of the gay marriages performed at the state level and thus, among many other things, they can't do the marriage for green card bit available to straight people. It's a small thing, sure, but I'd hate to be in their shoes with all the hurdles they have to clear just because of bigotry.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
-Frederick Bastiat