Belarusian spoke at the LGBT Immigration Forum in Washington, DC
Svyatoslav Sementsov
binational gay couple spoke along with Congressmen Jerry Nadler
(D-NY-8) and Mike Honda (D-CA-15) at a Q Street luncheon on LGBT
immigration on February 25 in Washington, DC. The event was moderated
by Julie Kruse of Immigration Equality.
Q Street is an association of over 300 LGBT lobbyists and advocates
for LGBT rights that hosts quarterly speakers’ luncheons and other
events.
Slava, Belarusian LGBT activist who is a member of a binational
couple, spoke movingly of his and his partner’s herculean efforts to
be together despite discriminatory immigration laws in both the U.S.
and his home country.
"It really does make a difference when binational families speak
publicly. And doing so in front of not only Members of Congress, but
also well-connected lobbyists in Washington, only makes the impact
that much more prominent," said Steve Ralls of Immigration Equality.
Congressmen Nadler and Honda, who rushed to the event between votes on
capitol hill, spoke movingly of the plight of binational gay and
lesbian families and the legislation that they are lead sponsors of,
the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) and the Reuniting Families
Act (RFA) respectively, which would end immigration discrimination
against these families.
Rep. Nadler spoke of introducing the first iteration of UAFA ten years
ago on Valentine’s Day of 2000, when he heard the plight of binational
gay and lesbian partners who cannot stay together because immigration
law does not allow them to. He said that he is against the “gratuitous
cruelty” of current immigration law. Sometimes, he explained,
governments are forced to do cruel things, but we should never have
laws that are cruel for no purpose.
Rep. Honda spoke of the historic exclusion of specific groups from
immigration benefits and said that we must end that kind of treatment
of any group of people. He said that once his constituent Judy Rickard
pointed out the unfairness of immigration law for LGBT families at a
town hall event he hosted in San Jose, CA, he felt he had no choice
but to include UAFA in his family immigration bill.
Reps. Nadler and Honda both urged attendees to reach out to members of
Congress who have not yet cosponsored UAFA and RFA and to continue
telling stories to educate their representatives. Honda also urged the
LGBT community to stand behind immigration reform for all groups,
citing the alliances Asian Americans have created with other groups
including Latinos, Caribbean and Irish immigrants, and other groups to
move immigration reform forward.
Both members of Congress expressed optimism that their efforts to
ensure inclusion of LGBT families in comprehensive immigration reform
would be successful.
The event was hosted by the American Council of Life Insurers at their
DC offices across the street from the U.S. Capitol grounds.
On photo: Rep. Mike Honda, Immigration Equality's Julie Kruse, and
Viachaslau Bortnik, a member of a binational couple, at Q Street event
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Svyatoslav Sementsov
co-president
TEMA - information center
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m. +375297390882
svyatoslav...@gmail.com
skype: svyatoslav.sementsov
www.pride.by