Gutierrez wants same-sex partner rights in immigration reform bill

By Andy Eddins
May 21, 2010 at 01:23 pm

As reported by Rex W. Huppke for the Chicago Tribune:

"Hopes that foreign-born partners of gay and lesbian Americans could follow the same path to citizenship as heterosexual spouses got a boost Thursday when U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago said he would fight to include such a proposal in the campaign for comprehensive immigration reform.

"Six months ago, when Gutierrez first laid out plans to introduce an immigration reform bill in the U.S. House, the inclusion of same-sex partner rights seemed too politically risky. But the Democrat now says he believes the coalition in favor of immigration reform is strong enough to make the bill 'truly inclusive.'

"'The underlying part of any comprehensive immigration bill is family unity,' Gutierrez said in an interview with the Tribune. 'We need to speak more clearly and more articulately and more frequently that the (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, and same-sex couples and their binational relationships, are part of families.'"

Click to read the full post: [Link]