Two equality bills were reintroduced in Congress today: Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA sheds light on workers fired for being gay or trans, and UAFA raises awareness of bi-national couples torn apart by the ban on same sex marriage. (A repeal of DOMA was introduced earlier this session.)

Bi-national couples have one partner who is an American or a legal permanent resident, and the other partner is from another country. Several bi-national same sex couples were in the news lately when a partner was about to be deported, sometimes to a home country where they may be targeted for being gay. Because of DOMA, Americans cannot sponsor same sex spouses for citizenship.

Tom works with Immigration Equality, an organization fighting to end discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans and legal permanent residents in our nation’s immigration laws. He is working on building support for UAFA from Alaska’s members of Congress, and looking for more bi-national LGBT couples to share their stories.

When UAFA was introduced last year, Tom (working on the same issue but for a different group) explained the importance of UAFA to Bent Alaska and asked us to contact Senators Begich and Murkowski. Recently, Tom wrote to us again, about his current project sharing our stories for UAFA:

“Dear Friends,
Judy and Karin are spending their retirement traveling among 4 countries – missing family birthdays, hospital visits, and weddings – so that they can be together.

Although Edward started a business in the United States and cares for his ailing partner, he could be deported at a moment’s notice because John, an American citizen, can’t sponsor him for residency.

Jaylynn and Shirley have been together for over two decades, and are raising twin boys – but even as an American citizen, Jaylynn worries every day that her wife will be sent back to the Phillipines.

Do you have a story like these, or know someone who does? We are working with Immigration Equality to pass the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), which would allow gay and lesbian Americans to sponsor their foreign born partners for residency in the United States – and we need your help.

Stories like yours, and those you’ve just read, are the most powerful weapons our community has – whether we are fighting for marriage equality, non-discrimination laws, or immigration rights. Your story makes a difference to members of Congress, to the media, and to other couples fighting for equality. Please take a moment to visit Immigration Equality’s website and submit your story.

If you would like to find out other ways that you can help pass Uniting American Families Act, please contact Tom Tierney of Immigration Equality, at ttierney@immigrationequality.org

Thank you for all you do for equality.”

UAFA finished the last Congress with 162 co-sponsors in the House and Senate. That was a record, and they want to set another record this year. Neither of our senators is a co-sponsor of UAFA.

Please call Senator Begich and Senator Murkowski at the Capitol switchboard: (202) 225-3121 and ask them to co-sponsor the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) this year.