In a decision that could have far-reaching effects on immigration cases involving same-sex couples, federal officials have canceled the deportation of a Venezuelan man in New Jersey who is married to an American man, the couple’s lawyer said Wednesday.
The announcement comes as immigration officials put into effect new, more flexible guidelines governing the deferral and cancellation of deportations, particularly for immigrants with no serious criminal records.
Immigration lawyers and gay rights advocates said the decision represented a significant shift in policy and could open the door to the cancellation of deportations for other immigrants in same-sex marriages.
“This action shows that the government has not only the power but the inclination to do the right thing when it comes to protecting certain vulnerable populations from deportation,” said the couple’s lawyer, Lavi Soloway.
The case has been closely watched across the country by lawyers and advocates who viewed it as a test of the federal government’s position on the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.
Link
Tagged as:
gay,
gay+marriage,
lgbtq,
same sex marriage
- New York Allows Same-Sex Marriage, Becoming Largest State to Pass Law – NYTimes.com – “Lawmakers voted late Friday to legalize same-sex marriage, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples will be able to wed and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born. “
- Thousands Cheer Same-Sex Marriage Law in Euphoric Pride Parade – NYTimes.com – “They came to shout, dance, cheer, strut, hug and shed tears of joy, knowing that on July 24, when the law takes effect, the season for tears will begin in earnest…The focus of much of the cheering was Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, who made legalization of same-sex marriage part of his election campaign and visibly led the fight for its approval in the Republican-led State Senate. Mr. Cuomo marched with several local politicians, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the New York City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, who is openly gay. But there was little question that the governor was the parade’s rock star, eliciting shrieks as he made his way down Fifth Avenue. “
- Gail Dines, SlutWalk, Saudi Arabia and The Place of Porn in a “Just Society” | violet blue ® :: open source sex – A professor of sociology and women’s studies, Dines shows a shocking disregard for women’s experience. She infantilizes “sluts” and women who consume porn (about whom I’ve never seen her make more than a passing reference) as women making not their own choices, but choices dictated exclusively by the pressures of men. Meanwhile, men make choices based exclusively on the pressures of porn. Which are driven by the desires of men. It’s a classic circular argument that places the responsibility for men who behave reprehensibly on the shoulders of women who self-identify as sluts, and of men who don’t always feel like making eye contact with their girlfriends during sex…But Dines is far more dangerous than that, because after decades teaching women’s studies, she doesn’t seem to have learned the explosive danger of the term “normal.”
- Sexual Orientation and the Law: A Research Bibliography – A research bibliography of legal literature discussing gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual persons, their rights and their families. Edited by law librarians from the American Association of Law Libraries Standing Committee on Lesbian and Gay Issues.
- Thanks, but no thanks! | Fearless Press – Keep in mind that you do not need to have a reason to say no – you are entitled to say no for any reason (or even no reason) at all. It’s YOUR decision whether to play or engage in sex. You also do not need to give them a “rain check” or tell them maybe another time unless you want to – in fact, in my experience it’s been worse for me to tell them “maybe” instead of just saying no and leaving it alone.
Tagged as:
bibliograpy,
etiquette,
gail+dines,
gay,
gay+marriage,
law,
lesbian,
lgbt,
newyork,
nys,
porn,
pride,
queer,
research,
samesex,
sex,
sexuality,
slutwalk,
thomas+roche,
transgender
Friday morning, the last program I watched on my about to be replaced Tivo was the documentary “Stonewall Uprising”, about the Stonewall riots. (You can watch it online here). The thing that got me was the head of the Mattachine Society, denying that gays would ever want to marry or adopt.
During the voting of the amendment, we headed downtown, because we wanted to be at the Stonewall, where it all started. Some pics from that night are below. The full photoset is here, including a video of the crowd singing “New York New York.”
Tagged as:
gay+marriage,
marriagequality,
ny4m,
samesex
- Will The Right Sacrifice California to Save Marriage Amendments Elsewhere? | Right Wing Watch – there is some talk on the Right of not appealing or fighting the Prop 8 ruling and letting California have gay marriage in order to keep the case away from the Supreme Court and thereby saving the marriage amendments in all the other states:
- Gay Protest Signs: The Greatest Hits | gay.com –
- Appeals Court Asked To Block Start Of Gay Weddings : NPR – The judge said he's not sure the proponents have the authority to appeal since they would not be affected by or responsible for implementing his ruling. By contrast, he said, same-sex couples are being denied their constitutional rights every day they are prohibited from marrying…Proposition 8 supporters "point to harm resulting from a 'cloud of uncertainty' surrounding the validity of marriages performed after judgment is entered but before proponents' appeal is resolved," he said. "Proponents have not, however, argued that any of them seek to wed a same-sex spouse."
Tagged as:
gay+marriage,
humor,
legal,
lgbt,
marriage,
prop8,
samesex,
SCOTUS
- Vaughn Walker, Prop 8 Judge, Has Personal Life Debated After Gay Marriage Ruling | Huffington Post – William G. Ross, an expert on judicial ethics and law professor at Samford University in Alabama, said that a judge's sexual orientation has no more relevance to his or her ability to rule fairly on a case involving gay marriage than it would for a deeply religious judge or a judge who had been divorced multiple times…"Under the logic of the people challenging the judge's fitness to rule on a case involving gay rights because he or she was gay, one would have to find a eunuch to serve on the case, because one could just as easily argue that a heterosexual judge couldn't rule on it either," Ross said.
- Prop 8 Trial Tracker | A Project of the Courage Campaign Institute – The Prop 8 Trial Tracker is a project of the Courage Campaign Institute, which is a part of the Courage Campaign’s online organizing network of more than 700,000 supporters in California and across the country… The primary contributors are Rick Jacobs, Chair of the Courage Campaign Institute, and Robert Cruickshank, Public Policy Director of the Courage Campaign Institute. California-based bloggers Paul Hogarth and Brian Leubitz also contribute legal analysis and other content to the Prop 8 Trial Tracker. Eden James, the Courage Campaign Institute’s Managing Director, is providing strategic and promotional support as well as adding occasional content.
- N.Y. Appeals Court Affirms Lesbian’s Duty to Pay Child Support | NY Law Journal – "This Court has previously employed the 'implied promise-equitable estoppel approach' … to preclude a man with no biological or adoptive connection to a child from disavowing a relied-upon, implied promise to support the child, thus preventing the man from leaving the child without the support of two parents, as originally contemplated," the 2nd Department observed in an unsigned, unanimous ruling.
Tagged as:
california,
child+support,
equality,
gay,
gay+marriage,
legal,
lesbian,
lgbt,
nys,
politics,
prop8
- Aaron Zelinsky: Why Judge Walker’s Sexuality Doesn’t Matter | Huffington Post – If Judge Walker is biased, then he should have recused himself. Under Title 28, bias is like pregnancy: you are either are or you aren’t. And Professor Bradley does not seem interested in discussing whether a straight judge has a similarly disqualifying interest in the subject.
- Adam Winkler: How Will the Supreme Court Rule on Same-Sex Marriage? | Huffington POst – As usual in the Supreme Court these days, the swing vote belongs to Anthony Kennedy. And there are several reasons to believe that Kennedy, though conservative on many issues, will vote with the liberals on this one. The Supreme Court has issued two major decisions dealing with gay rights over the past 15 years. Both decisions came out strongly in favor of gay rights — and both were written by Justice Kennedy.
- Brian Levin, J.D.: In Prop 8 Case Constitutional Concepts of Marriage and Discrimination Are Key | Huffington Post – Central to yesterday’s decision and future ones will be how far the government can regulate marriage and what threshold of legal protections should extend to gays and lesbians.
Tagged as:
gay,
gay+marriage,
legal,
marriage,
prop8,
samesex,
supreme+court
