Monday, September 23, 2002
Lawmaker promotes immigration privileges for same-sex partner
A story released today by CNSNews.com reports
that a liberal New York congressman believes non-U.S. citizens engaged in a
same-sex relationships with U.S. citizens should have immigration privileges
identical to those of an alien married to a citizen, and nearly a quarter of
the members of the House of Representatives support the idea.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the so-called Permanent Partners
Immigration Act (H.R. 690)on Valentine's Day 2001. Last week, Nadler issued
a press release touting the 100th cosponsor signing onto the bill.
"The legislation is just common sense," he said. "That's why it has reached
the triple digit mark in co-sponsorship, and bipartisan co-sponsorship, at
that."
"My bill is simply a matter of common sense and fairness," Nadler claimed.
"Why do we allow the government to tear apart committed and loving couples
just because of who they love?
The bill would require the Immigration and Naturalization Service to extend
the same privileges and benefits to non-citizen homosexual sex partners of
U.S. citizens as those extended to legally married non-citizen spouses of
U.S. citizens. The proposal defines a "permanent partner" as an individual
18 years of age or older who:
- is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 years of age or older in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment;
- is financially interdependent with that other individual;
- is not married to or in a permanent partnership with anyone other than that other individual;
- is not a first, second, or third degree blood relation of that other individual; and
- is unable to contract with that other individual a marriage cognizable under [U.S. law].
Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute of Concerned Women for America said the results of minimizing marriage in such a way would be perilous.
"This bill would make the United States a magnet for homosexuals to come
to our shores," he said. "And given that homosexuality is looked down upon
around the rest of the world, it would give the rest of the world one more
reason to conclude that the United States has gone over the edge and is no
longer the 'shining city on the hill' but is really a decadent society that
everybody else had best avoid."
Under current immigration law, only non-citizen spouses and other immediate
family members of U.S. citizens receive preference for admission to the
country and for "permanent resident alien" status.
