We Just Want to be Together

Dec 06th, 2010 12:23 PM By Ronald

I met the love of my life online and later face to face while on vacation in Chile. We’ve been inseparable ever since. Fortunately for me, I’ve been able to travel to Chile and now Australia to see him. Even though he shares my job’s flight privileges, he can’t visit me here in the states. His application for a U.S. visa has been denied twice so he gave up on the idea of coming here.

Australia, on the other hand, welcomed him with open arms so he’s there until his student visa runs out. I can only get an Australian visa which does not allow me to obtain employment and only permits a 90-day stay.

We love each other so much but the distance is putting a strain on the relationship. We plan to get married legally in Argentina or Canada but it’s a slow process either way. Even so, since it’s not recognized here in the U.S., I will have no choice but to move out of the country.

Even if We Could Get Married in South Carolina…

Dec 02nd, 2010 12:01 AM By Ryan

My name is Ryan. I’m a 26 years old LGBT activist with a Masters degree in Education who pays taxes and votes in every local and national election. I wear a small silver ring on my right hand with 5 diamonds in it, there is beautiful person who I’ve dated for 2 years now; someone who grew up on the other side of the world and now wears a matching ring like mine. Shehan & I are engaged to get married. But there’s just one catch, Shehan is a boy, and in my state, boys don’t marry boys… “its just not natural” or legal for that matter.

Even if we could get married in South Carolina, my partner Shehan is from Sri Lanka and right now the “so-called” Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) would prevent me from sponsoring him for a green card. This is an example of how unfair laws are right now for same-sex couples. In a land founded on freedom, justice, and equality, there are thousands like us who suffer from unjust laws. Ironically, both Shehan’s brother & sister came to the US, married opposite-sex partners, and are on their way to being citizens. We are so happy for them and their “pursuit of happiness”, but why can’t Shehan & I have that same opportunity?
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American Expat in Denmark

Dec 01st, 2010 07:14 PM By Theo

As a couple we’re lucky to live in socially evolved Denmark where being Gay is a non-issue. Still I long to return home. For 23 years we’ve been together. Now we will marry to fully legalize our status. The Defense of Marriage Act keeps us from repatriating to the USA legally. My Danish partner, a man of principle, won’t break laws or live in a land where he’s unwelcome. Our hands are tied. For 5 years I’ve been treated for depression related to our situation. We feel that we’re holding out for a miracle, the USA seems so politically narrow minded lately. We dearly hope that people will vote to insure these laws of bigotry are rescinded.

Love Across the Sea

Nov 30th, 2010 11:21 PM By Delia

My story is that I have fallen in love with the woman I want to get married to but I have to leave the country due to my visa having expired, as I have to return to my home country of Australia. If this country GIVES a Damn about equal humanity, where it is supposed to be the land of Freedom, I wouldn’t be separated from the one I love so much that I want to propose to her.

If the law passes for same sex immigration it would have been much more easier for me and my girlfriend. I will be waiting for the day I can marry her and re-enter the country where a simple reform is needed. We are all the same, no one should have to go through what I have to go through just because I am a lesbian. We Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender all should stand up for our rights to be ourselves, so please GIVE a Damn about You as we are all connected, humanity is the basic rights!

Leaving for Equality

Nov 30th, 2010 11:11 PM By Amber

I give a damn about equality and I also give a damn about the United States of America. It’s my home. Always has been. Two years ago I met and fell in love with my soul mate. I didn’t even believe in soul mates until she came along. Trust me, they exist. She’s perfect for me and I try my best to be perfect for her. The trouble is, she is from Sweden. I am a somewhat country girl from Tennessee, now living on the east coast, and I fell in love with a country girl from Sweden. After a year of the torturous long distance thing, I traveled to her country and fell in love with it as well. We’ve both been back and forth numerous times and both places have their positives and negatives. She loves Tennessee in the fall, but isn’t much of a fan of the 95 degree summers. I love Sweden in the summer, but could do without all that snow. She loves our IHOP and Jelly Bellies, I love their chocolate and free healthcare. It’s a toss up!
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American Backwards Government

Nov 23rd, 2010 08:39 AM By Matt

My name is Matthew. I give a damn. I am a twenty nine year old gay man, and I had to leave my country because my backwards government doesn’t see my same sex relationship as valid. My husband would have to leave the county after 90 days because he’s not an American. If I were a straight man and brought home a foreign bride then it would a completely different story. I was forced to move over 8,000 miles away to Australia where same sex relationships are recognized. I had to leave my family and friends, my job, my car, my life and start over with the man I love and who I will spend the rest of my life with. My voice must be heard.

This is not acceptable and it MUST change.

I Love Latinos!!

Nov 23rd, 2010 08:38 AM By Thomas

I fell in love with a not just any Latino… but a Colombian Latino while staying in Colombia. Americans may have a backwards view of Colombia, but there… I can get a civil union. Not that that would make any difference to the U.S. government, because I could not even get a tourist visa for my boyfriend to come meet my elderly parents in the U.S. Heaven forbid I wanted my boyfriend to live with me in the U.S.!! But I have been welcomed to be a resident in Colombia and have a resident visa. So which country is backwards now?

We Have to Sell It All and Move to the UK

Nov 23rd, 2010 08:36 AM By vince

I came out 4 years ago at the age of 38, 2 weeks later I met Andrejus. I did not plan on a long term relationship, after all I repressed my sexuality for decades and wanted to just come out and be a FREE gay who was finally happy and ready to date. Andrejus and I hit it off and he left London where I met him and moved to Denver to be with me. The only way I could get him into this country (since America is still in the dark on HUMAN RIGHTS) was to pay for his college. He has been here now 3 years and close to a degree. The economy however has hit me hard with foreclosures and the like, my income has dropped to little and Andrejus CAN’T work in America and even it we married the federal government would remove him.

I therefore decided to sell everything from my home in a short sale to my car, to my personal effects and we are moving to London where Andrejus can work as well as I can because they HONOR gay rights in other countries. I don’t know what I will do as it is a big change to leave 42 years of your life and move to a new country but at least they accept a couple and honor us.
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Immigration and Marriage

Nov 23rd, 2010 08:33 AM By Nicola

I’m lucky, because I’m straight I can live in America with the person I love. My husband and I met and fell in love when I spent a study-abroad year in the US. We then spent 2 years traveling back and forth to visit each other every 3-4 months as we each finished our degrees, before we got married in England. It then took almost a year before my visa was approved, and I arrived in the USA 1 week before our first anniversary. Because we’re straight, we could decide which country we wanted to live in!

But if I’d been gay and in love with a woman instead of a man, we’d still be traveling back every few months (if we were lucky) at $500-$1000 a trip, just to spend a little time with the person we loved. At the time we married, neither the UK or the USA recognized same sex partners for immigration purposes. The UK improved in 2005 with full equal legal standing given to civil partnerships, and it’s long past time the USA started moving forward too.

I Lost My Partner

Oct 14th, 2010 08:35 PM By Chris

Due to the inability to marry legally in the USA (land of freedom, equality, dreams…blah, blah), the love of my life was deported and we are not allowed to be together. This I once thought to be a basic human right, but I was shown that it seems to be a privilege enjoyed only by a couple as defined by the government in power today. Does this mean that I should apply to the proper authorities before I decide to fall in love?