Editorial #5

The article I chose this week is entitled, Separation Anxiety, and it focuses on gay rights. The editorial focuses specifically on gay Americans whose partners are not citizens of the country. As it stands now, “foreign partners of American citizens are unable to use the family immigration system, which accounts for a majority of the green cards and immigrant visas granted annually by the United States.” The Uniting American Families Act, which was introduced to both the House and Senate last month, would change the immigration system to include gay partners. In the new system, “permanent partner” and “permanent partnership” would be added after the words “spouse” and “marriage.” This would allow gay Americans the opportunity to stay with their partner. The article concludes by discussing more in detail the problems with the system the way it is now. It says that many gay couples are forced to choose between their country and their partner. Others take a third option, staying in the country illegally. This is wrong, and the Uniting American Families Act, if passed, will change this.
I agree with everything in this article. The fact that gay couples are not allowed to get married in many states is wrong, but this bill is at least a step in the right direction. What many people do not think about is how much marriage can affect a couple. It isn’t just getting to call the other person your husband or wife, there are many legal factors as well. The Uniting American Families Act rights one of the wrongs done to gay couples, but there are still many others waiting to be fixed. Wrongs such as not being able to make medical decisions, death benefits, and adoption are all unfair processes when it comes to gay rights. Those that fight against gay marriage should take time to consider what they are forcing those people to give up.