Washington, D.C. — In conjunction with the recent release of the report “Living In Dual Shadows: LGBT Undocumented Immigrants,” the Center for American Progress today announced the launch of out4citizenship.org, a new website designed to tell the stories of LGBT undocumented immigrants and continue the momentum toward providing a path to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants.
Out4citizenship.org is an opportunity for supporters of the LGBT community and immigration reform to publicly “come out” in support of citizenship by signing a pledge, with a goal of 267,000 signatures—one for each of the 267,000 LGBT undocumented people in the United States—ahead of next week’s march for immigration reform in Washington, D.C., on April 10. Those who sign pledge that:
“I stand in support of immigration reform that puts 11 million Americans-in-waiting, including more than 267,000 LGBT people on the road to citizenship. I believe Congress must act now to enable LGBT undocumented immigrants to become full and equal participants in our society.”
Out4citizenship.org also shares the stories of undocumented LGBT immigrants who are “living in a double closet” and the challenges that this community faces every day, whether it’s discrimination in employment or separation from partners because of their legal status and laws that discriminate against same-sex couples. The site includes a new video, narrated by Jose Antonio Vargas, that features LGBT undocumented immigrants sharing their own experiences on camera.
The website also highlights new research from The Williams Institute at UCLA that examines the LGBT undocumented population, an infographic on this population in the United States, and the CAP report, “Living in Dual Shadows.”
To speak with an expert on this topic, contact Crystal Patterson [email protected] or 202.478.6350.
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