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FIREWORKS FOR JULY As The City of New Orleans Becomes The 20th UAFA City Council Resolution From St. Louis to Chicago, to Los Angeles, to Seattle, to Minneapolis, to Miami to New York – twice — independent activists have taken control of their destiny over the last few months to produce a total of TWENTY City Council Resolutions for bi-national same-sex couples. Their goal: UAFA inclusion in comprehensive immigration reform. So far, they’ve done it. Same-sex “permanent partners” are in both the Senate Immigration Reform Framework and repeated House promises. They were in neither in February. In February, volunteer activists Tom Tierney and Todd (Tif) Fernandez dreamed up and embarked on a plan to power-up the grassroots for UAFA called C=IIR or “Comprehensive Equals Inclusive Immigration Reform (http://tinyurl.com/CIIRonFB) One angle was to get locals in bi-national couples to seek City Council Resolutions, both because it was something local activists could pursue directly, and because this voiceless community really needed official statements on their behalf. Plus, all politics is local and it was their only way into the conversation. Four short months later, Mr. Tierney’s relentless determination performed a small miracle, when on July 1, 2010, New Orleans became the 20th City to join the esteemed list of localities that have stood up to be a voice of the voiceless LGBT bi-national couples who live in daily fear of forced separation and broken families. The initiative inspired unintended heroes from across the country, like Debbie Ellis, who testified for the Cambridge Massachusetts resolution. “Standing up for civil rights and opening up peoples eyes to this issue is one of the most important things I can say I have ever done,” Debbie later shared with Tom. The Cambridge Mayor’s office wrote Debbie saying: On behalf of Mayor Maher, I would like to thank you for testifying before the Cambridge City Council on behalf of the resolution filed by Councilor Reeves regarding S. 424/H.R. 1024. It is the active participation by citizens such as you that make the Cambridge City Council the vibrant legislative body that it is. I wanted to let you know that Mayor Maher has sent letters to the two remaining members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation that have not signed on to co-sponsor this bill, Senator Brown and Congressman Lynch, urging them to support this legislation. Thank you again for testifying at the City Council meeting. Regards, Lee P. Gianetti, Chief of Staff In Miami, Commissioner Michael Góngora lead the charge and offered this expression of gratitude for the experience: “I am extremely proud to have sponsored a resolution in favor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) which was unanimously passed by the Miami Beach Commission. As the first openly gay commissioner for the City of Miami Beach, I am honored to represent Miami Beach as we continue to support the LGBT community. I am committed to continue to support civil rights and equality for all people.” Indeed “Civil Rights for the LGBT Community” echoed prominently from the many out LGBT officials who responded to the call of activists like Judy Rickard. “It is a thrill to approach openly-gay and openly-lesbian local officials that I have helped get elected and see them help same-sex bi-national couples like mine get assistance on passing the Uniting American Families Act,” she reported from San Jose. All told, dozens of uncommon activists rose to a new state of self-empowerment. The Victory Fund’s list poured forth its bounty as openly LGBT local and state officials everywhere stepped up! The power of our cause resonated as resolutions passed unanimously, one after another. On a sad note, the existing LGBT “Movement” wasn’t much help as Tom described: “It was really disappointing to be honest – calls and e-mails to some Statewide LGBT groups were often not responded to or brushed off, some said they had to check with their headquarters or HRC to get permission to help, and others didn’t want to help. So I said screw it, we’ll go directly to the Councilors themselves and not wait for someone else to do this for us.” And so it was. A simple plan turned into an email, turned into phone calls that turned into conversations that turned into an Official City Council Resolution in 20 cities representing over 25 million people. In total, hundreds of City Councilors and Mayors wrote dozens of Congress members and Senators to say that our relationships deserve respect and federal recognition in the immigration law. It’s amazing what you can get when you ask for it. Fortunately, the grassroots is here and powering-up. Thank you Tom Tierney for showing how it’s done. To get a resolution for UAFA passed in your community, please contact: [email protected] To see the 20 Resolutions go to: out4immigration.blogspot.com and click on ‘Get Active! O4I’s Grassroots Actions You Can Download’ For more about the 2010 C=IIR Campaign, go to: http://tinyurl.com/CIIR2010-TenStatePlan To join list serves on the UAFA effort go to: ImmigrationEquality.org, or Out4Immigration.org (for same-sex bi-national couples). LIST OF CITIES: • City of Albany, NY – population: 93,539 ** Amos Lim and others started this work in CA, and NY did 2 Resolutions. |
 
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