Emma’s Two Moms Rock

Every day I read the news and shudder—for myself, my friends, my family and especially for my kids. This world sucks right now and I blame it all on the Boomers. But I’ll save that for another post.

Today, I’m here to talk about one of the BEST parts of being a kid in 2009. The little guys have friends down the street and at school with two moms or two dads or one dad who likes other dads, etc. etc. and they think nothing of it. Sure, they’ll ask some questions. But in general, it seems like children in America today accept atypical family situations so readily and without prejudice. Do I live in the LA/NY bubble? It’s possible. But for once I’m giving everybody in those other states some credit.

Fig. 1: Kate & Allie, not Mara & Rita…but I always wondered.

More specifically, I want to post about Mara, Rita and their incredibly cute little girl Emma. They are good neighbors and lovely people who invite us over with our two-year-old twin terrors regularly and don’t even blink when one of them sneezes on a very expensive cheese plate. Rita is American. Mara is German and gave birth to their daughter here in the States. Because of some entirely backwards immigration policy and an expired student visa, they can’t live here full time as a married couple and family. For many months out of the year, they have to leave their beautiful house, uproot their family to head back to Germany. I’m all for nice cars and good beer. But please, this is ridiculous.

Tomorrow, as in FEBRUARY 12Th, Representative Jerrold Nadler plans to reintroduce the Uniting American Families Act, a bill that would allow gay and lesbian binational couples to live as a family in the U.S. full time.

RIGHT NOW, here’s what you can do:

Please call your Representative and ask them to be an original cosponsor of
the “Uniting American Families Act of 2009.” 

IF YOU LIVE NEAR ME IT IS DIANE WATSON 202-225-7084

It’s easy and would only take 5 minutes of your time!
Find out who your U.S. House Representative is.  Go to
http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm, enter your address, and you will be provided the name of your U.S. Representative. Or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to be connected
to your U.S. Representative.

Tell your representative’s staff:
I am calling to ask Representative ________________ to be an original
cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act of 2009.  To cosponsor,
he/she must contact Rep. Jerrold Nadler who is the lead sponsor.

The U.S. government discriminates against gay and lesbian binational couples by not allowing them to sponsor their foreign-born life partners for immigration. Because of this,  he/she faces the terrible choice of separating from the person he/she loves, even their children, or leaving our country. Americans should not have to choose between family and country.

Please ask Rep._________________ to cosponsor the Uniting American Families Act of 2009 by reaching out to Rep. Nadler before Thursday Feb. 12 at noon.

Thanks for asking your member of Congress to celebrate love this Valentine’s Day by cosponsoring UAFA!