FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Last Friday, after more than two decades, President Obama officially announced the end of the HIV Travel and Immigration Ban.

[jojane (jojane]

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From: "Rachel B. Tiven, Immigration Equality"
<Rachel_B._Tiven_Immigration_Equa [at] mail.vresp.com>
To: jojane [at] juno.com
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:26:26 +0000
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"Act Like It": November eBulletin 

 
Dear Jo,

Last Friday, after more than two decades, President Obama officially
announced the end of the HIV Travel and Immigration Ban. In doing so, he
also ended a dark chapter in our nationïs history and a stigma that has
lived on for far too long.

In 1993, Senator Jesse Helms ensured the HIV Travel and Immigration Ban ï
previously a regulation that could have been more easily repealed - would
be enshrined into federal law. Over the following 16 years, the United
States paid a heavy price for the ban, and countless families were
separated because of our governmentïs short-sightedness about the
disease. 

Then, on Friday, President Obama announced that, ïIf we want to be a
global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it.ï The ban,
the President said at a White House ceremony, would officially end on
January 4, 2010.

Immigration Equality is proud to have worked with Senator John Kerry,
former Senator Gordon Smith, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, GMHC, the AIDS
Institute ï and each of you ï to repeal the ban. Its end means the
beginning of a new life for so many people living with HIV/AIDS.

Repeal of the travel ban also means added momentum for our work on behalf
of LGBT immigrants and binational couples, too. As we pointed out in
Saturdayïs New York Times, ïstigma and exclusion are not a sound basis
for immigration policy.ï Just as we did with the HIV travel ban, the
United States now has an opportunity to be a leader on family-based
immigration. We just ïneed to act like it,ï as the President said last
week.

This month, we have highlights from our continued work on Capitol Hill, a
look at the headlines weïre making, an amazing success story from our
legal team and a look at our new legal fellows, who are making a real
difference as part of the Immigration Equality team.

Thank you for being part of our team, too. 

Yours in the fight,

Rachel B. Tiven




Making Headlines

Immigration Equalityïs work on the HIV Travel and Immigration Ban made
headlines around the world this past week. Executive director Rachel
Tiven was the most widely quoted expert on the story, and our work was
highlighted in news coverage, editorials and blogs.

Here are just a few of the headlines we made:

    * The New York Times
    * The Washington Post
    * Associated Press
    * PBS NewsHour
    * The Houston Chronicle
    * Andrew Sullivan's "Daily Dish" on The Atlantic


For a complete list of recent media coverage, visit the Immigration
Equality in the News section of our website.  (And donït forget to read
the recent Associated Press story on Immigration Equalityïs work on
behalf of LGBT asylum seekers, too.)




Educating Congress

Immigration Equality was proud to be part of two recent Congressional
briefings on Capitol Hill. Our policy staff ï and our families ï spoke
out in favor of LGBT-inclusive immigration reform and urged lawmakers to
end discrimination against LGBT binational families.

On October 23, we were proud to join the Asian American Justice Center,
the office of Congressman Mike Honda and other key allies for a House
briefing on the Reuniting Families Act. Steve Orner, whose partner
recently left the U.S. and returned to Indonesia after losing his
structural engineering job, was joined on Capitol Hill by his 88-year-old
father. The Orners spoke movingly about their experience, and about the
pain of losing a loved one because of discriminatory immigration laws. 

ïThis is my home; Iïve lived here half my life,ï Steve Ornerïs partner
told The Advocate before leaving just days prior to the briefing. ïI met
Steve and I fell in love.ï

ïI urge you to support the Reuniting Families Act, and an inclusive
comprehensive immigration reform bill,ï Steve Orner told Congress. ï . .
. It will make all the difference in the world.ï

The House briefing with the Orners was followed by another briefing ï
held earlier today - organized by the Democratic Policy Committee and
focused on LGBT priorities for Congress. Our policy director, Julie
Kruse, joined other LGBT advocates to address what steps Congress can
take to ensure LGBT equality . . . including by passing the Uniting
American Families Act or other, LGBT-inclusive, immigration reform
measures. Binational families, for the first time, were ranked among the
top 5 LGBT priorities, signaling growing traction on our issues in
Washington and a growing understanding of the urgency of fixing our
broken immigration system for everyone. 



Immigration Equality Wins Asylum for Gay, HIV-Positive South African Man

Last month, Immigration Equality and pro bono attorneys at Latham &
Watkins won our first-ever South African asylum case . . .  for ïAyaan,ï
a gay, HIV positive man from South Africa.  

Ayaanïs childhood was marked by physical, sexual and emotional abuse due
to his sexual orientation.  His mother beat him for ïnot being man
enough,ï and students at school attacked him for being gay. At age 8, his
neighbors raped him and, at 17, a teacher in his community raped him,
too, and threatened him with death if he told anyone. 

In 2004, Ayaan came to the United States on a tourist visa to escape from
his painful, taunted and closeted life in South Africa. He was diagnosed
HIV positive in August 2007. Then, two months later, ICE agents arrested
and detained Ayaan while looking for someone else. Eventually, ICE put
him into removal proceedings, and released him under his own
recognizance.

In January 2008, Ayaan came to Immigration Equality seeking help. Our
legal team found Ayaan pro bono counsel with Latham & Watkins and, due to
several procedural difficulties and postponements at the Immigration
Court, Latham & Watkins represented Ayaan in multiple court proceedings,
which took place over the course of a year and a half. 

Last month, a judge granted Ayaan asylum, and he can now remain safely in
the United States. He remains very grateful to his attorneys at Latham &
Watkins. 



Announcing Immigration Equality Legal Fellows

Immigration Equality is proud to announce the addition of four legal
fellows to our staff. Our fellows ï who have joined Immigration Equality
with the support of preeminent national firms ï are in both our New York
and Washington offices. As an integral part of our team, our legal
fellows are doing critically important legal and policy work.  Please
join us in welcoming:


Albert R. Chen, from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, is providing direct
representation to clients in a variety of asylum matters and answering
legal hotline inquiries.


Holly Chen, from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, is taking
a leading role in our detention advocacy, as well as representing a
transgender detainee in immigration court.


Lauren Macioce, from Ropes & Gray LLP, is providing multi-faceted
support, including expanding the Business Coalition for UAFA, organizing
Immigration Equality's March on Washington contingent, and answering
client inquiries.


Mike Stanek, from McDermott Will & Emery LLP, serves as a member of the
Policy team in the Washington, D.C., office, where he focuses on a range
of advocacy and legal research to advance LGBT and HIV-positive
immigrantsï and their familiesï rights through legislative and regulatory
reform. 
As our Immigration Equality family grows, we are better able to answer
each call for help, and make new gains on Capitol Hill for those who are
counting on us to win. 
  
Immigration Equality is a national organization fighting for equality
under U.S. immigration law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and
HIV-positive individuals.  Visit www.immigrationequality.org/donate to
support our vital work. 



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Immigration Equality
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