Family, Unvalued
Discrimination, Denial, and the Fate of
Binational Same-Sex Couples under U.S. Law

Acknowledgements

Glossary

Immigration-Related Terms
Other Terms

I. Belonging

Summary
Recommendations

II. Sex and Security: A Short History of Exclusions

Immigration, Gender, and Sexuality in U.S. History
From McCarthyism to the “HIV Ban”
Defended from What?

III. Closed Doors: U.S. Visas and Immigration

Exploring Immigrant Visas
Non-Immigrant Visas
Asylum

IV. “What If”: Couples Coping with the Visa System

Wendy and Belinda’s Story (Part One)
Living Long Distance
Juggling Visas
Stopped at the Gate: Harassment by Immigration Authorities
Seeking Safety and “Looking Gay”: The Asylum System
Lives Not in Order: The Undocumented
Gender Identity, Marriage, and Immigration
Exile

V. “Screaming Into a Vacuum”: The Consequences for Couples’ Lives

Wendy and Belinda’s Story (Part Two)
Financing Love
Friends and Family
Health

VI. Law, Relationships, Families

Wendy and Belinda’s Story (Part Three)
Legal Protections against Unequal Treatment
“The Hopes and Expectations of Humanity”: Law and the Forms of Family

Appendix A: The Uniting American Families Act

Appendix B: Countries Protecting Same-Sex Couples’ Immigration Rights

Appendix C: Census Information on Binational Same-Sex Couples in the United States

Appendix D: Organizations that Work with LGBT Immigrants, Asylum Seekers, and Binational Couples

May 2006   ISBN: 1-56432-336-6