The impact of discriminatory immigration laws

This video from Freedom to Marry highlights the discrimination that LGBT couples face when they are not citizens of the same country. This discrimination in the immigration law is often overlooked by the gay marriage debates here, but it’s an important issue for binational couples.

Transcript after the jump

Cristina:

Everything we do we do it together. And we enjoy that.

Monica:

I like her because she is fun. We laugh, you know, good sense of humor. I feel        supported

Cristina:

I like that she is very smart and she is sure of what she wants. I can always talk to her.

We got married in the gazebo at The Green. I was really nervous. And she was even more nervous—she started shaking. We’re doing this to be with the person you love for the rest of your life. And we were crying—we were excited. But it was something that we wanted to do.

Monica:

Truth is, it changed our lives completely.

Cristina:

At this point, we are pretty much facing being torn apart as a couple. The government doesn’t recognize that our marriage is valid for the purposes of immigration because of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). And we are facing being either torn apart or being removed from this country.

It is like you are committing a crime by falling in live with somebody that is not from the US. A person that’s straight can just petition for their spouse and that’s it. And in our case, I have petitioned for my spouse, but nothing is happening because she is a female.

I should be able to sponsor Monica. And we should be able to live together—happy—here.

Monica:

It’s been a test for us. It’s made our relationship stronger.

Cristina:

Yes.

Monica:

Going through all of this.

Cristina:

Marriage is a bond, you know, that cannot be broken that easily.

In the future, I see us together. I want to say I see us here, but it is hard to say that. It’s devastating, you know, knowing that one day we can just be pulled apart from each other.