US LGBT rights activists were dismayed and angered by new immigration legislation which liberalises and rationalises US immigration policy was passed by 13 votes to 5 in the House of Representatives on Tuesday May the 21st. Why? Because it side stepped the issue of equal rights for same sex couples.
The legislation will provide a pathway for 11.5 illegal immigrants in the country to gain citizenship status. It will also open the borders to more high skilled workers in targeted industries. However, when Senator Patrick Leahy, the panel’s chairman, sparked a debate over his proposal to give same-sex and heterosexual spouses equal rights under immigration law, the bill’s supporters, repeating private appeals from the White House, warned that forcing a vote on that issue would lead to the collapse of conservative Republican support and the bill’s demise.
Activists say that the Democrats rejected equality for the sake of political expedience and let the LGBT community down. To read more go here