Yesterday we had a big win.Last week, we told you about a couple in California, Doug and Alex, who were facing a nightmare scenario -- the deportation of Alex, a Venezuelan citizen, despite his marriage to American citizen Doug. If Doug and Alex were straight, they'd have no problem at all -- American citizens sponsor their opposite-sex partners every day.
Yesterday, as their life together hung in the balance, Doug and Alex got good news. After 17,000 petition signatures and a 75-person rally outside the courthouse, the immigration judge who heard their case ruled that -- unless the government opts to drop their case altogether -- she will defer the case until a later hearing...in September 2013!
While this result certainly doesn't solve the threats of deportation, living in the shadows, green card denials, and forced exile, it's welcome news for the tens of thousands of couples living in the shadows from the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Each of these cases -- Josh & Henry, Doug & Alex, and so many more -- help to chip away at the lived discrimination that LGBT Americans face each day. Each time we stand up for ourselves, for our families, for our friends, for our neighbors -- we stand up to the bigotry and intolerance that has haunted LGBT lives for so long.
It was an honor to organize with our friends at Stop the Deportations, Out4Immigration, Marriage Equality USA, and so many others -- and we were happy that yesterday, for the first time in a long time, Doug and Alex were finally able to smile.
These cases continue to unfold each day, and we'll continue to let you know about them -- and about ways to take action in order to impact the result. For today, though, we rest and we celebrate -- and we thank you for all you do to help us GetEQUAL!
For equality,
Heather Cronk
Managing Director, GetEQUAL
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