Love across oceans: U.S. government is still a sinking ship

When I wrote a review of Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book, Committed, last week, I failed to mention one of my favorite parts of the book. She wholeheartedly challenges the American government’s continued discrimination against same-sex couples in immigration situations. I’ve written extensively about my confusion around marriage here in the U.S.–namely, that I chose not to get married, in part, because I wanted to stand in solidarity with my friends who didn’t have the same privilege. But then things started to change state by state, and suddenly some of those same friends were actually getting married themselves. It all started to seem a little ambiguous.
There was nothing ambiguous, however, about the situation that a dear friend of mine recently faced when she and her non-American partner had to figure out how the hell to be together despite a federal government that refuses to recognize their love and commitment. After many costly and painful twists and turns, they’re now relying on an education visa. Incidentally, many international couples (heterosexual included) must rely on these visas in order to be together, as they can be far less costly than hiring a lawyer and going through marriage proceedings.
In any case, I wanted to shine a spotlight on this continued injustice. I think it’s easy to slide into a bit of complacency because we see the inevitable march of gay marriage rights through the U.S. (despite lots of setbacks), but it’s important to stay vigilant and remember that not everyone can just jaunt off to Massachusetts. Both international and economic factors still influence whether people who love one another can actually be together.
Circling back to Gilbert, read this interesting interview with her over at Jezebel. She received an award at an Immigration Equality gala this week.