They drove an awful long way to say their piece; take a few minutes and watch this.
Go, "Papa Bear", go- you protect those favorite daughters of yours and educate Mainers!
Okay folks- you know what to do...
BONUS: Dawn also sent this photo- thought everyone might enjoy! :)
The federal government Friday denied asylum to a gay Brazilian man who married his partner in Massachusetts. The man must now stay in Brazil. Normally, foreign citizens can become U.S. residents if their spouse is a U.S. citizen. But because of DOMA, immigration law doesn't recognize same sex marriages.
Passing on Chance to Help
The asylum application gave the federal government a chance to bypass immigration law and let the Brazilian man become a U.S. resident regardless. But Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General, didn't respond to the application in time, effectively denying it.
The couple even got Massachusetts Senator John Kerry to plea their case to the attorney general, which raised the couple's hopes. The Associated Press reports:
Coco [the U.S. citizen] said he thought there was ''no way'' the Obama Administration would deny Oliveira's asylum request after Kerry made his plea to Holder.
''We are profoundly sad,'' said Coco. ''This is more than any married should have to face.''
The struggle highlights the difficulty for foreigners married to U.S. citizens to become U.S. residents. Because the government won't grant marriage-based visas to same sex couples, foreign spouses generally must rely on an asylum application, the general visa lottery, an employment-based green card or visa, or a student visa.
Any hope?
The Uniting American Families Act, already introduced to the Senate and House, would let "permanent partners" of U.S. citizens beome U.S. residents. While a version of the bill has floated around since 2000, it's possible Democratic majorities in this Congress mean it will pass.
[Cross-posted at the Gay Couples Law Blog, which discusses same sex family law, estate planning, and taxes.]
It's an open thread! Pleeeeease feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread...
So below is what my cartoon sockpuppet Bookworm Bob & I have been looking at so far this week.
• The 365Gay's Dr. Susan Love recruits a gay & trans army against breast cancer:
"Breast cancer doesn't have to go on to another generation. We can be the generation that stops it," says Dr. Susan Love.The renowned breast creast cancer surgeon and awareness advocate is recruiting a 1 million strong "Army of Women" (and some men) to do just that. Love, an out lesbian, is also committed to making the LGBT community an integral part of the effort.
...Some modules of the HOW study will ask about sexual orientation and gender identity. Love is working with Fenway Health, a Boston-based LGBT health organization, to develop appropriate questions. Looking at breast cancer in lesbians is one obvious avenue for research, but Love also wants to investigate the almost entirely unexplored area of breast cancer in transgender people. "I think there's a wealth of information in studying that community," she says.
"That's a community where you've taken different types of hormones that do affect breast cancer [in non-transgender women] at different times in life, and nobody's really studied what does that do to the breast tissue [of transgender people]. Are they at risk? Aren't they at risk? We have no idea."
Love wants to study the risks for both male-to-female transgender people as well as female-to-male people who have not had their breast tissue removed. Additionally, she would like to find funding to study the breast tissue of those who have had it removed after taking testosterone for some time...
Wow. I like that first.
• NPRNews's FAA Revokes Wrong-Way Pilots' Licenses:
The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked the pilot licenses of the two Northwest pilots who have admitted to being distracted in the cockpit by their laptop computers and letting their plane fly 150 miles past their intended destination of the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.Here's the FAA press release:
The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked the licenses of two Northwest Airlines pilots who overflew their destination airport on October 21, 2009 while operating Flight 188 from San Diego to Minneapolis.The pilots were out of contact with air traffic controllers for an extended period of time and told federal investigators that they were distracted by a conversation. Air traffic controllers and airline officials repeatedly tried to reach them through radio and data contact, without success.
The emergency revocations cite violations of a number of Federal Aviation Regulations. Those include failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.
The revocations are effective immediately. The pilots have 10 days to appeal the emergency revocations to the National Transportation Safety Board.
I'm not dissatisfied by this.
• NLGJA's Re:Act Blog: What Do You Call a Marriage Between a Man and a Woman?:
...[H]ere's the larger question: what should we call a marriage between a man and a woman? If we call a marriage between two men or two women a "same-sex marriage," then why not call a marriage between a man and a woman an "opposite-sex marriage"?The dilemma for journalists is that you have to differentiate between the two types of marriage when discussion political challenges or advocacy. Can you really have "marriage" on one hand, and "same-sex marriage" on the other when you are making comparisons?
For awhile, it seemed "traditional marriage" was the preferred comparison, but there are even bigger problems there. "Traditional marriage" is now a political slogan, used by opponents of same-sex marria marriage as a piece of rhetoric. So no journalist should really be using the term "traditional marriage" unless it is a direct quote from an activist.
So where does that leave journalists asked to tell stories where both kinds of marriage are being discussed? Suggestions?
I have none.
• Opposition material from Focus On The Family's CitizenLink: Gay Marriage May Affect Maine Schoolchildren:
The people of Maine will soon have the chance to decide the definition of marriage in their state. And that decision could impact what kids are taught in public schools....Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said gay marriage gives teachers the cover they need to incorporate homosexual topics into their lessons.
"Consider the parents in Massachusetts who complained that their kindergarten and second-grade age kids were exposed to storybooks introducing them to the idea of homosexuality and same-sex marriage," she said. "Is there really any serious question that legalizing gay marriage will tangibly and concretely affect our public schools?
Ugh.
• Our Wiener Story Of The Day: Bleacher Report's Mark Sanchez Signs with Nathan's Hot Dogs:
Nathan's Hot Dogs...Sanchez Approved!
The CEO of the Nathan's Hot Dog company is set to introduce Sanchez Tuesday morning as there spokesperson for the 2010 year. "We saw an opportunity here with a young quarterback who is having a very successful year. It will put our product out there in a way it has not been yet," the CEO said.
Put it out there it sure will. Not only do they plan on producing three commercials, any game where Sanchez is replaced by a back up due to a Jets fourth quarter league, he will sport a Nathans hot dog in his hand...
So anywho...It's an open thread! What are you thinking about today, or what books or articles have you been reading the past few days? Wanna share?
And again, please feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread because...it's an open thread! Woo-hoo! 
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