Events

Our Members

Get Involved

"I am grateful that your organization exists. Just the very fact that someone is trying to help us is assuring."

Home > Community > Get Involved

1. Visit your member of the House or Senators:  The Uniting American Families Act, "UAFA," (previously known as the Permanent Partners Immigration Act, "PPIA"), which would give U.S. citizens and permanent residents the same ability to sponsor a same-sex partner for immigration benefits that opposite-sex spouses currently enjoy, has greater support in Congress than it’s ever had.  But we still have a lot of legislators to educate about why this bill is so important.  The best way to make a difference is to speak to your Representative and Senators and put a human face on the suffering caused by immigration discrimination.  Find out who your representatives are and how to contact them.

2. Write a letter to your member of the House or Senators: you’ve told your story to friends and loved ones so many times; why not write it down and send it your Senators and Representative with a request that they support an end to discrimination against lesbians and gay men in immigration law?  With many legislators stating that they support “civil unions” or equal legal rights for same-sex couples (even if many of them do not support marriage rights), this is the perfect time to let them know why this issue is so important.  If you want to know how others have approached such letters, download our sample letter (doc), or contact Immigration Equality and we can send you sample copies. Once you’ve written a personal letter, all you need to do is change a few words to make sure the letter tells your unique story.

3. Get your employer, organization, or local government to endorse UAFA: In addition to seeking support directly from legislators, we are working to build a broad coalition of supporters for UAFA.  We have gained the support of important organizations, such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association, as well as the support of major corporations, such as Intel.  Talk to your employer about the effect of the immigration law on you.  Explain how staying with your partner could lead you to leave the United States, and your job.  If your federal legislators already support UAFA, think about getting your city council to introduce legislation endorsing UAFA.  This can also help get media attention to the issue and increase support at the local level.

4. Turn your letter into an Op-Ed piece: Change your letter’s "Dear ---" into a thesis statement and its "Sincerely---" into a conclusion, and you’ve got a powerful editorial that, if published in a local newspaper, will reach a lot more potential supporters than just your member of Congress. Contact Immigration Equality if you would like assistance drafting your piece.

5. Join our speaker’s bureau: Immigration Equality often receives calls from members of the press and others writing articles about the plight of lesbian and gay binational couples, about LGBT-based asylum cases, and about the effects of the HIV ban on immigration.  These reporters and researchers want to be put in touch with people who can speak about the discrimination in immigration law and the ways it has affected their personal lives.  Generally reporters work on tight deadlines, so it’s crucial for us to have a list of willing speakers to draw from.  Reporters can protect your confidentiality by using a pseudonym for you.  This is a vital way to make more people understand our issues.  If you would like to join, submit your story.

6. Volunteer: Immigration Equality is always looking for volunteers.  If you’re willing to do some work in the office, research country conditions on the Internet to support asylum applications, or visit a detained immigrant, we would love to hear from you and put you to work!

7. Translate: We have great educational materials on our Web site, but, because our resources are limited, most of them are only available in English.  If you are bilingual and have time to do some translating, you can help us get vital information out to a wider audience.  We also have articles in other languages (mostly Spanish) that need translating to be used in support of asylum applications.  In addition, we often work with asylum seekers who need translation assistance when meeting with their volunteer lawyers.

8. Be an expert: Are you an asylee?  Do you have firsthand knowledge of mistreatment of LGBT or HIV-positive individuals in your country?  Are you an academic who has researched conditions in a particular country?  Often having supporting documentation about country conditions can be the deciding factor in asylum cases.  For many countries, there is little or nothing written about LGBT and HIV issues in the Department of State country reports.  We must find our own experts to document claims, and supporting affidavits and testimony are crucial.

9. Every dollar counts! Send us a check, or make a secure donation online now.  We are the only national organization dedicated to equal immigration rights for LGBT and HIV-positive individuals.  Your contribution goes a long way towards helping us realize our dream of full equality under the law.

Back to Top