We’re Out for Citizenship; Are You?

At NCLR, we strongly support our LGBT brothers and sisters in their fight for equality.  We understand that immigration issues are LGBT issues, and we have been actively engaged in working towards an immigration reform bill that includes the 267,000 undocumented LGBT people in this country.  According to the Center for American Progress, that number makes up 30 percent of the LGBT immigrant population.  All too often, these members of our community are hidden from or left out of the ongoing conversation addressing immigration in America.  This is especially troubling given that so many of the reform movement’s most vocal activists are LGBT and undocumented.

We can’t leave anyone behind in our march toward immigration reform, and we are proud to support the new campaign out4citizenship, launched by our partners over at the Center for American Progress.  The website and social media campaign is aimed at building support for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship, with a specific emphasis on those who are undocumented and LGBT.  The site is full of news and educational resources, as well as many stories from undocumented LGBT immigrants who have had to come out of two “closets.”  Our belief is that telling these stories is essential to gaining support from the public and winning the legislative battles on Capitol Hill.  It is vital that we shed light on the vulnerable undocumented LGBT community.

Visit out4citizenship.org to find out more about the campaign and about signing up to show your support for reform that includes LGBT people. Also, watch the inspiring video, which features NCLR Capital Award winner and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, Jose Antonio Vargas.

Familia es familia.  Family is family.  We must support our entire community if we expect to continue advancing toward progress.