President Barack Obama with CA Assembly Member Jared Huffman

Thank you for listening Jared Huffman Candidate for U.S.Congress.
By Melanie Nathan, May 5, 2012.
What could be worse  for any person than to be deprived of the basic right to be with the person one loves? What could be worse than separation from the person to whom you are married, the inability to hold the hand of your fiance, not being allowed to live together in your own country?

Yet, notwithstanding the reality of the Defense of Marriage Act’s (DOMA’s) worst infraction – its impact on immigration equality – resulting in the separation of individuals from loved ones, from extended family, careers, homes and lovers, causing often detention by authorities, exile and more, I have yet to find one single member of Congress who has thought of an ‘out of the box’ or creative remedy to assist all same-sex couples overcome this reprehensible hardship.

This came up in my discussions with Jared Huffman, of Marin County, a third term California Assembly member, who has co-authored legislation benefiting the LGBT community and accomplished a stellar equality record in California. Huffman is running against seven other pro-equality candidates in the newly redistricted 2nd California Congressional district for the seat of progressive Democrat Lynn Woolsey, who is retiring from Congress.

I met with Jared after he invited me to a chat about our community. I told him about the stories I had encountered and the hardship in our community; of those in exile, some in detention, and others separated or living in fear. For the first time I felt like I had found someone who could in essence find his way through the maze and hear the bottom line.  I sensed a courage and willingness to look out of the box that so cynically seems to define incumbents.

Because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) same-sex couples are unable to sponsor spouses or fiancé’s for green cards. This is in my opinion one of the single most onerous of the 1000 plus Federal rights which gay couples are denied because of DOMA.

In a recent interview with Congresswoman Woolsey for GAY U.S.A. the Movie, a documentary film I am co-producing, I asked about the future of the Respect for Marriage Act, the legislation that would repeal DOMA.  The Congresswoman shook her head and said its repeal is a bleak long shot at this time and referred in no uncertain terms to the obstructionist Republican Congress.

I explained to Huffman that our bi-national couples cannot wait for court cases and DOMA’s unlikely repeal – that we desperately need some interim measure to accommodate this travesty. I told him about the Bi-national Visa I had suggested back in 2009 to Immigration Equality, and the petition I had placed on Change.org.

Huffman listened intently and then he said that indeed he would be willing to explore the possibility of a special VISA process for same-sex bi-nationals to help reunite couples and bring exiles home.

Now I understand this may not be workable and that when a rookie congressman Huffman may not find it viable; but most importantly I believe Jared Huffman will do more than anyone has yet to do in exploring more creative remedies for this reprehensible aspect of our inequality. “Why has this not happened yet?”  Huffman suggested, and it made me realize that so many representatives are so caught up in business as usual, they give very llittle time to coming up with solutions that are not delivered.

It is my sincere hope that more members of Congress take the opportunity to think out of the box for creative solutions. For over twenty years nothing has happened to change this situation.  Because binational couples have been terribly let down by advocacy groups such as Immigration Equality, which has taken a lead role in trying to obtain immigration reform,  it is clear that the only form of advocacy that will work to bring soonest relief is the one where each person impacted take responsibility as individuals to speak to their representatives and to seize opportunities to educate candidates for Congress.

I hope this inspires you all to do a little more and to support the campaigns of those who will help our binational couples, such as that of Jared Huffman.

To read more about the  GAY U.S.A. the Movie endorsement for Huffman and his equality record read BLOG 

To Support Jared Huiffman and read up on the issues visit http://www.jaredhuffman.com/

MELANIE NATHAN is CEO of Private Courts Inc., a Marin County mediation and human rights advocacy firm specializing in LGBTI equality and international human rights. She is a blogger at www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com, and coproducer of Gay U.S.A. the Movie. She is also a Commissioner on the Marin Human Rights Commission and is on the Board of Fair Housing of Marin.