Holyoke Takes Up Immigration Equity Bill

Interesting article found in the Valley Advocate:

http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=11632


"Holyoke is a city that derives a deep sense of pride from its immigrant history. Now a city councilor is asking his colleagues to voice their support for a proposed federal law that would extend rights already given to immigrant partners in straight couples to gay couples, too.

Last week, Ward 4 City Councilor Tim Purington brought to the Council a resolution supporting the Uniting American Families Act. The bill would rewrite federal immigration law to allow gay Americans to sponsor non-American permanent partners or spouses for legal residency in the U.S. Currently, the law only allows that right to legally married straight couples.

A "permanent partner" is defined in the bill as an adult involved "in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 years of age or older in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment." The two must be "financially interdependent," and neither may be married to anyone else. The proposed law would also provide rights to the children of the non-U.S. partner."