Representative Jerrold Nadler and Senator Patrick Leahy (pictured) took some time to reintroduce The Uniting American Families Act today. Yet another attempt to bring queers into the maintstream political fold, the act will allow same-sex partners to sponsor their international lover's American stay.

Under current law, homos must apply for temporary visas and are often denied reentry into the United States - a harrowing, heartbreaking reality Argentine filmmaker Sebastian Cordoba highlighted in his film, Through Thick and Thin.

Speaking to his political peers in the House of Representatives, Nadler explained the act in the most human of terms:

Our bill recognizes that American families come in all shapes and sizes... Our laws should work to keep loving families together and not tear them apart. This is a matter of basic fairness and compassion. I am proud to work with Senator Leahy on this issue. We simply ask that gay and lesbian Americans in loving, committed relationships receive the same treatment as everyone else.

Leahy, meanwhile, hit the nail on the head, "Our immigration laws treat gays and lesbians in committed relationships as second-class citizens; this injustice needs to change." Palabra.

If passed the act will add "permanent partner" to the government's immigration form. This new category describes persons who are in a steady relationship which "both parties intend a lifelong commitment".

CONTINUED »

Alvaro Orozco sure is one lucky Nicaraguan - the Canadian government stepped in on his behalf and issued a temporary ban on his deportation. Orozco seeks asylum in the country, insisting that he's gay and will therefore be harassed and beaten by his abusive father in the largely Catholic Nicaragua, where homosexuality's been illegal since 1992. Many fear the repressive laws will be more strongly enforced under conservative President Daniel Ortega.

Last week, an immigration official named Deborah Lamont said Orozco failed to convince her he's gay and therefore must return to his homeland. She reasoned that since he wasn't sexually active during his teens, he must not be gay - because, you know, all gay teens are total sluts.

If Lamont needs proof, she should just read Orozco's website, where he writes:

My father always knew I was different from my brothers. I too knew I was different, from around the age of seven. I was attracted to other boys. I would keep more clean and neat than the other kids. One day I made a garden in our house, and whatever free time I had I used to take care of the plants and flowers.

That's way gay.

A number of gay rights activists spoke out against Lamont's decision and Orozco's lawyer El-Farouk Khaki urged the Justice Department to step in. Heeding the call, the department has granted Orozco a two-month stay of deportation to reapply for asylum and build a strong case. Of the decision, Khaki said:

We are thankful and relieved. This will allow us time to submit additional medical and psychiatric evidence and perfect the humanitarian application.

He didn't elaborate, forcing us to wonder what he means by "medical and psychiatric evidence"? There's no gay test that we know of - or, at least, not one that'll hold up in court. Maybe he'll undergo a rectal exam to show that he's busted his hiney hymen, or something.

Previously: "Homo" Not Gay Enough For Canada's Liking

A Nicaraguan man named Alvaro Antonio Orozco will be deported from Canada for failing to convince immigration official Deborah Lamont he's gay. Of course you're wondering, "How can you prove you're gay?" Well, unless you're a huge flaming queer, you really can't, but apparently no one told that Lamont, who doubts the validity of Orozco's claims because he wasn't sexually active as a teenager. Her ruling reads:

I found the claimant's many explanations unsatisfactory for why he chose not to pursue same-sex relationships in the U.S. as he alleged it was his intention to do so and he wanted to do so...he is not a homosexual...and fabricated the sexual orientation component to support a non-existent claim for protection in Canada.

Hmmm, it seems to us they could figure it out quite easily, ie: lock him in a room with six attractives and see what happens. If he gets down on his knees, he stays. If not, he goes. That's how we figure out whether someone's worth keeping around...

(To the right you see an artist's rendition of what Orozco would need to look like to prove his sissy status.)

• People are still speaking of the whole Isaiah Washington/TR Knight feud and, for some unknown reason, singer John Mayer's added his voice by penning a very special Grey's Anatomy scene. Um, okay...

• Speaking of homophobia, it seems a number of YouTube's users aren't down with the lesbians.

• Speaking of not being down with something: the kids over at Good as You aren't down with 'Concerned Women for America' and their take on hate crimes. And, quite frankly, neither are we.

• Judges in Cincinnati agree that Guatemalan gay José Antonio Grijalva will face discrimination back home and, thus, can stay in The States. Hoorah!

• Mexican investigators believe gay activist José Ernesto Leal López was murdered not because of his political stance, but by an angry lover. Hmm, interesting theory...

• Illeana Douglas and friend have posted the final episode of her internet-series, Illeanarama. Check it out.

Across the country yesterday, thousands of gays and lesbians marched for a legislative overhaul of immigration laws.

Many participants are drawn to the legal fight because of their international lovers, who they can't sponsor for citizenship. According to a 2000 census, there are 40,000 such couples living openly in America, none of whom have the legal protections granted straight binational couples.

Along with public displays of disaffection, LGBT activists have their eyes on Congress, which has shown small support for the Uniting American Families Act. The bill will allow binational same-sex couples the same rights given to straight couples of the same ilk.

Some gay conservatives have said that gays have no place in other social movements, insisting gay power should be just that: gay. What do you, our darling and opinionated readers, think of all of this? Should we stand up for immigration rights or keep our words for more overtly "gay" issues?

"Gays Join Marches for Immigration Rights" [365 Gays]

Here's a link for the Human Rights Watch's 191 report on Immigration Law: "Family, Unvalued..." [Human Rights Watch]

President Bush's border control push rolls on, this time with a visit to Omaha, Nebraska, where he told his crowd that immigrants coming to America must adopt American "values" if they're to be a part of our contry.

"One aspect of making sure we have an immigration system that works, that's orderly and fair, is to actively reach out and help people assimilate into our country," Bush said in a speech at a local community college. "That means to learn the values and history and language of America."

The president may have undermined that message somewhat while at the Juan Diego Center, as he joined in a class preparing students for their U.S. citizenship tests. Though the instructor addressed students in English, Bush mostly chose their native Spanish to greet and quiz them. When the students couldn't answer his question — how many father-son duos have served as president — Bush explained in Spanish that there have been two, the Bushes and "Juan Adams y su hijo Juan Q."

Now what, exactly, constitutes an American "value?" The desire to be a movie star? The hope to own more property than you can live in, so you can rent it out at exhorbitant rates to the lower classes and profit off of them? The want to build a stock portfolio that amounts to lots of paper wealth when there are hundreds of homeless people without social services to turn to in your neighborhood? The dream to drive a car that's individually responsible for contributing to global warming?

Come one, come all immigrants. The country that was built on the melding of cultural values now has an Excel spreadsheet listing all those you must adhere to.

Bush: Immigrants must adopt U.S. values [AP]

The current immigration debate looming large in Washington focuses primarily on the border between Mexico and the U.S. But leaving your country to find a better life isn't unique to Mexicans or those seeing better jobs to support their families. So many immigrants, whose stories go untold, escape their homeland to live freely as gay men and women. And a good portion of them, it turns out, trek to Canada for a peaceful existence

Now, at Toronto's Humanitas Fesival (May 26 – June 25), the documentary Gloriously Free (view the trailer) will look at this overlooked group of people.

The first documentary ever to explore the world of gay immigration and the desperate search by five young men to find welcoming arms outside their countries of birth. What they find is Canada, a vast country that now leads the world as the safest haven for persecuted gays and lesbians. Their compelling stories have global reach as same sex partnerships fuel international dialogue about why North America - and Canada in particular - have softened their stance on same sex preference and orientation.

And this time, President Bush has no say in whether you'll be granted asylum.

Gloriously Free [OMNI Documentary Specials]
Humanitas Festival

• Two Albanian lesbians, one 54 and the other 24, who met while living illegally in the UK, are now applying for asylum as committed partners who want to raise the younger woman's child. Call us cynical, but this whole situation seems odd and a little too convenient. [365 Gay]

• Even though it may be the next country to legalize gay marriage, South Africa still has major civil rights work to do. In a new report it's been revealed that 1 in 5 gay schoolchildren in Pietermaritzburg and Durban are raped or sexually assaulted, either by other students, or by teachers and principals. The statistics are higher among gay black students. [News24]

• HIV can be more virulent depending on the virus subtype. Africa is home to many cases of subtype D, the most virulent, which could be contributing to the pandemic there. [BBC]

• Someone on the island of St. Maarten has finally expressed some sympathy for the homophobic attack on Ryan Smith and Dick Jefferson. An apology is nice, but we are still waiting for the police to do their job. [Pink News]