Make It Count

By Rachel Tiven on 04/14/2011 @ 10:58 AM

Tags: UAFA, Events, Congress

Later today, I’ll join Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and one of our most dedicated families — Shirley Tan, Jay Mercado and their twin sons — on Capitol Hill for reintroduction of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). At the very same time, our lead Senate champion, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, will reintroduce UAFA in that chamber of Congress, too.

If you can't join us in person, you can still be part of this incredible day. Make a donation in support of UAFA and send a clear message to lawmakers: stop deporting our families. We'll put your gift to immediate use in our work to educate every Member of Congress about why UAFA matters.

Together, we’ve come a long way. Five years ago, ending discrimination against our families was barely a blip on the national radar. Today, it is the central focus of a national debate that shows record public support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families. Our families’ stories have become the rallying cry for the movement to gain federal recognition for LGBT couples and topple the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act.

We could not have gotten this far without you ... and I’m writing today to ask that you stand with the Tan-Mercado family, Congressman Nadler and Senator Leahy by making a donation in support of our work on Capitol Hill.

As we have expanded our fight for equality to the courts and the White House, advancing this legislation in Congress has never been more important. Passing UAFA is an immediate, nationwide solution for binational couples in the US and those living in exile.

A quick glance at the news of the past few weeks shows just how much momentum we have: ABC News, Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Miami Herald, The New York Daily News ... the list goes on.

The Advocate may have put it best, though, calling us “easily the most visible issue in the current fight against DOMA.”

Despite that visibility, however, the federal government continues separating our families and deporting the spouses of LGBT Americans. That’s unconscionable, and we will not rest until it stops.

Immigration Equality is fighting harder than ever, and we need your help to sustain our stepped-up campaign for binational families. Please make the most generous donation you can in support of the Action Fund’s work in Washington.

All eyes are on our movement. This is our moment. Help us make it count.

P.S.: Monthly donations are a particularly powerful way to stay involved in the fight. Will you make a monthly donation of $10, $36, $106, or more?