An Historic Platform

By Rachel Tiven on 09/04/2012 @ 04:29 PM

This morning in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Democratic National Committee unveiled an historic party platform that, for the first time, includes LGBT immigrant families. In the most pro-LGBT platform in U.S. history, the party not only unequivocally endorses marriage equality for all LGBT couples, but also specifically calls for an end to the separation of our families:

“. . . the word ‘family’ in immigration includes LGBT relationships in order to protect bi-national families threatened with deportation.”

We should all be proud of this incredible development. Immigration Equality’s Action Fund team has worked non-stop to ensure leaders in both parties understand the critical need to change our discriminatory immigration laws and keep families together. The 2012 Democratic platform is just the latest example of our success.

This momentous step forward would not have been possible without key allies in our work. Each family who has stepped up to tell their story – in the media and on Capitol Hill – helped make today’s news reality. We are also indebted to our friends at National Stonewall Democrats and, especially, Professor Tobias Wolff, who originally proposed the language about our families during the platform committee hearings in August.

Our work is more important now than ever. The coming year will be a critical one for our families. Important decisions about immigration, and LGBT equality, will be made by Congress and the White House in 2013 and beyond. If you haven’t already done so, visit our UAFA Now campaign online and ask your Member of Congress to stand with our families. If you can do so, also consider a contribution to our Action Fund to help keep our political momentum going.

The next few months will be critical in deciding our families’ futures. We cannot afford to sit this one out.