U.S. Lawmakers Call For LGBT Immigration Reform

Sixty members of Congress have issued a letter to President Obama and congressional leaders calling for immigration reform to include rights for LGBT binational families and couples.

The letter asks to change the current law, which prohibits citizens from sponsoring their same-sex partners for residency in the United States.

Representatives Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jared Polis of Colorado, Mike Honda of California, and Mike Quigley of Illinois spearheaded the letter.

“We are a nation of immigrants and, as a result, our diversity is our greatest strength,” Polis said in the statement. “Unfortunately, our out-dated immigration system contains laws that discriminate against LGBT families and hinder our economy, our diversity, and our status as a beacon of hope and liberty to people across the world.”

Nadler, the lead House sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act, expressed his support of the legislation in a statement.

“We must take the government out of the business of singling out LGBT families for discriminatory treatment and live up to our democratic ideal of equality under the law,” Nadler said. [READ MORE]