ItGetsMoreGay

gaywrites:

A gay Indonesian man was denied a deportation reprieve that could have allowed him to stay in the United States with his American husband, the Advocate reports.

He’ll make another appearance at a customs office in January, but without interference from the Department of Homeland Security or the Justice Department, there’s a good chance he’ll be sent back to Indonesia.

This is the latest in a slew of news about the state of gay immigration and the effects of DOMA on immigration policy. Obama recently promised that same-sex couples would be considered “low priority” deportation cases, meaning it would be unlikely their cases would be examined for deportation, but this decision seems to contradict that promise. 

“The Obama administration made a commitment to stop deportations that would tear apart families, including same-sex couples, and yet in its decision the ICE Office in Philadelphia is failing to make good on that commitment,” Soloway said. “The administration must take immediate action to ensure that the new deportation policy is being implemented fairly and consistently by ICE deportation officers in local offices, or this policy announcement is meaningless.”

The Advocate’s got more details at the article linked above. This is not good, you guys. 

gaywrites:

Ever heard the stereotype that gay relationships are unstable? A new study from the United Kingdom proves that gay civil partnerships could very well be more lasting than straight marriages.

Recently released Office of National Statistics figures from 2010 — the latest available — showed 2.5% of civil partnerships dissolving in the first four years, while 5.5% of marriages ended in divorce in the same span of time, London’s Telegraph reports.

The newspaper adds, however, that the figures may have been distorted because many couples in civil partnerships had already been together for a lengthy period, making them more likely to stay in the relationship. 

Check the Advocate article linked above for details. What do you think of this? Is the data reliable?

gaywrites:

Though an unearthed scandal forced him to (temporarily) drop out of the race, openly gay David Norris has officially put his name on the ballot in Ireland’s upcoming presidential race. 

He’s an independent candidate without the support of any major party, which will make it tough for Norris to get endorsements from members of Ireland’s parliament. But he’s consistently topped the polls, even after quitting the race. 

If Norris wins, he’ll be the first openly gay man to be president of any country in the world. The election is October 27. Readers in Ireland, get out the vote. Spread the word. Let’s make this happen. 

Iceland technically already had an openly gay and married ruler, but i guess they’re only counting “Presidents”…

gaywrites:

Bi Visibility Day, or International Celebrate Bisexuality Day, has been celebrated every year since 1999 to celebrate the bisexual community and bring light to biphobia. 

The link above includes a ton of mostly international events happening to celebrate this day, which, honestly, a lot of people don’t know about. A bi girl myself, I only learned this was happening a couple of days ago. I’m thrilled to hear about it, and I wish it was celebrated more publicly.

What will you do today?

gaywrites:

A new government poll of citizens of the United Kingdom found less than half support same-sex marriage and only a third support adoption by gay couples. 

Gay couples have been allowed to adopt children in the U.K. for nine years. In addition, the government is considering changing its civil partnership laws to allow gay couples in civil partnerships to call themselves married. From the Daily Mail:

Lib Dem Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said last week that to deny marriage to same-sex couples was ‘simply not fair’.

But the ONS findings show many Britons still cling to conservative values and suggest Miss Featherstone’s claim that the UK is ‘a world leader in gay rights’ only applies to a minority of the population.

The report, based on sources including the annual British Social Attitudes survey and research by the EU’s Eurobarometer research arm, said only 45 per cent of British people agree that ‘homosexual marriages should be allowed throughout Europe’.

U.K. readers, I’m looking at you: what do we do to change this?

gaywrites:

England, Scotland and Wales will lift a policy permanently banning men who have sex with men from donating blood. Instead, MSM will be deferred from blood donation for one year after their last sexual activity.

It is true that this alternate policy is still far from ideal, but it’s certainly better than a lifetime ban - especially when virtually all scientific research shows that policies such as this one are outdated and there are more efficient ways of protecting the blood supply without being so blatantly homophobic.

Hey, America. Over here.

gaywrites:

Here’s another unfortunate story out of America the Beautiful:

A married couple from Vancouver were traveling to the U.S., but at customs were told they could not go through together. Though they’ve filled out one form for the two of them on past visits, Karen-Marie and Andrina Perry were told they had to fill out separate forms at U.S. customs.

The reason, of course, is the Defense of Marriage Act - the United States does not recognize their (legal) marriage. “One written declaration per family” is required, but they are not recognized as a family, though they are married, live together and have the same last name. From the Advocate:

“It’s one more thing on top of all of the additional security measures and screenings and things that just make you question if it’s even worth it anymore,” Karen-Marie said. “And we want to be somewhere where we feel safe and can be a family.”

This is saddening. 

Can I just say: Fuck Bigots