More Than 2,000 Days Trying to "Figure This Out" - Eric and Jon's Story

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Wednesday March 06, 2013 · 9:00 AM PST

2013/03/06 · 09:00

On June 29, 2006 I boarded a flight to New York’s LaGuardia Airport that would completely change my life.It was not my first trip to New York, but it was my first solo trip.I thought that I may be a little crazy for arranging this trip, but I’m a scientist and a bit of a planner. There is always a Plan B and I will always find a solution

amosl

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Tuesday March 05, 2013 · 9:00 AM PST

2013/03/05 · 09:00

Pallavi and I met in 1999 when we were students at Whittier College in Whittier, CA. Pallavi was on a student visa. She was a nerdy international student and I was a jock-ish college athlete. We may never have met at a larger school so perhaps our union was destined (cue Pallavi rolling her eyes at me). We were friends at first and kept in touch over the years.

amosl

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Monday March 04, 2013 · 9:00 AM PST

2013/03/04 · 09:00

Richard and I met in February 2002 in Calgary Canada. I am Canadian and Richard is American.

Initially, Richard was going to move to Canada to be with me, Canada has same-sex marriage and gay couples have all the same rights as straight couples. But Richard wanted to keep his job in the U.S., so he was “commuting” between the U.S. and Canada. This became very stressful, especially in the winter, when flights to and from Canada are often canceled die to the weather.

amosl

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Friday March 01, 2013 · 9:12 AM PST

2013/03/01 · 09:12

Helen and I met through a fan-based message board for a British television show. At the time I was living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Helen was in Perth, Western Australia, neither of us knowing that the other existed. Through the message board, Helen and I started e-mailing. At first our e-mail conversations were very polite with the usual “What’s your favorite movie?” and “What do you do for a living?” but then it quickly grew into so much more.

"The stress of having Helen on a work visa here in the States is constant."

amosl

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Monday February 25, 2013 · 9:16 AM PST

2013/02/25 · 09:16

crossposted at Out4Immigration's Blog Read More

An Experiment in International Living

amosl

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Friday February 22, 2013 · 9:24 AM PST

2013/02/22 · 09:24

crossposted at Out4Immigration's Blog
July 1987, an “Experiment in International Living”, that’s what they called the homestay trip that I took as a 16-year-old girl from the United States. I stayed with my Irish host family who immediately paired me with their 16-year-old niece, Karen. We became fast friends and found it impossible to say goodbye after my three short weeks in Ireland.

Karen and Joy when they first met, as students in Ireland in 1987. Years later they met again and have endured years of complicated visa restrictions to stay together in America.

amosl

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Thursday February 21, 2013 · 9:21 AM PST

2013/02/21 · 09:21

crossposted at Out4Immigration's Blog
American Rita Boyadjian and her German life partner, Mara, met in Cologne, Germany at a European Gay Pride celebration in 2002 while Rita was touring Europe on vacation. They fell madly in love and began a long-distance relationship. After 18-months of flying back and forth every 3 to 4 weeks while visiting on a tourist visa, Mara was able to obtain a student F-1 visa that allowed her to live legally in the U.S. for a four-year Bachelor’s degree program in Los Angeles.
Mara (left) and Rita (right) now live in Germany. Rita's Los Angeles-based business created more than 20 jobs for Americans, yet she has been forced into exile to keep her family together.

amosl

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Wednesday February 20, 2013 · 10:25 PM PST

2013/02/20 · 22:25

crossposted at Out4Immigration's Blog

Ana and I "met" in 2008 while we were both participating in an online book club. Although Ana is a Portuguese national, she currently resides in the United Kingdom. We quickly became friends in the book club and in November of that year, I was fortunate enough to have a business meeting scheduled in London. It was during that trip that Ana and I met face to face for the first time. Although we considered ourselves to be "just friends" for approximately a year after that first meeting, we never went more than two or three days without corresponding with each other. At first it was only by email, but we were soon spending hours on the phone together learning more and more about each other. We quickly realized that our "friendship" was taking a turn and knew we had to meet again. This time it was in New York, where I live. It was clear to both of us that we were falling in love.

amosl

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Thursday February 07, 2013 · 11:55 AM PST

2013/02/07 · 11:55

Bill with Bipartisan Support Would Give Gay and Lesbian Americans with Foreign Spouses Equal Immigration Rights

SAN FRANCISCO - FEBRUARY 5, 2013 -Â The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), legislation that would provide gay and lesbian Americans with foreign partners equal immigration rights, was introduced today in the 113th Congress by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

This is the seventh consecutive Congress in which Nadler has introduced this legislation, which typically garners support from Democrats, but never enough for the bill to come up for a vote. This time, however, the bill has two Republican cosponsors, and comes at a critical juncture with comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) on the table.

amosl

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Thursday February 07, 2013 · 11:48 AM PST

2013/02/07 · 11:48

crossposted from Out4Immigration's Blog

Ana and I "met" in 2008 while we were both participating in an online book club. Although Ana is a Portuguese national, she currently resides in the United Kingdom. We quickly became friends in the book club and in November of that year, I was fortunate enough to have a business meeting scheduled in London. It was during that trip that Ana and I met face to face for the first time. Although we considered ourselves to be "just friends" for approximately a year after that first meeting, we never went more than two or three days without corresponding with each other. At first it was only by email, but we were soon spending hours on the phone together learning more and more about each other. We quickly realized that our "friendship" was taking a turn and knew we had to meet again. This time it was in New York, where I live. It was clear to both of us that we were falling in love.

amosl

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday December 12, 2012 · 11:38 AM PST

2012/12/12 · 11:38

Urges Action from Same-Sex Binationals in Lead Up to Court Decision

Media Contacts:

Amos Lim, Out4Immigration, 415-742-1626, amos@out4immigration.org

SAN FRANCISCO – DECEMBER 12, 2012 – Out4Immigration welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to hear two cases challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The court announced its intent to review the law on December 7^th. A final decision is expected in June 2013.

amosl

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Tuesday December 04, 2012 · 9:35 AM PST

2012/12/04 · 09:35

This holiday season, GetEQUAL, Out4Immigration, and The DOMA Project are publishing the stories of just a few of the thousands of couples directly impacted by this discriminatory law, and who could be immediately helped by passing an LGBT-inclusive comprehensive immigration reform bill. Recently, Democrats and Republicans in both the House and the Senate have talked about introducing a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the new Congressional session — and tens of thousands of couples’ lives hang in the balance as those negotiations begin. Regrettably, Senator Dianne Feinstein has not yet agreed to co-sponsor legislation called the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), which could be included as part of an inclusive, comprehensive immigration reform bill.

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More Than 2,000 Days Trying to "Figure This Out" - Eric and Jon's Story

Doctors with Borders - Amanda & Pallavi

Holding Hands and Praying for Change

The Happy Ending Has Yet to Be Written

Tired of Second-Class Status, American Woman Wants the Option to Live Back Home with Chilean Partner

An Experiment in International Living

Successful U.S. Businesswoman Forced to Commute to Los Angeles While Family Lives in Exile

Four Weddings on Two Continents, But Still No Recognition by U.S. Government

Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) for Same-Sex Binationals Introduced in Congress

Kathy And Ana: Four Weddings on Two Continents, But Still No Recognition by U.S. Government

Out4Immigration Prepares for SCOTUS Review of DOMA Cases

U.S. Citizen Turning 65 Appeals to Senator Dianne Feinstein for Help