Queers and Immigration

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Sparkle

This is a good article and I'm really-really glad there is a wave of new press articles being done on Queer Immigration; but I have to say the title of the article irks me. And while I'm very pleased the NYT wrote/published this piece I feel they should have shown more care, the title suggests that the writer did not understand the issue.

Using the term "shortcut" in the title makes it sound as though the legal immigration issues queer binational couples face are merely irritating or perhaps tiresome, "Oh dear, darling, I guess we'll have to take the long way 'round since they've blocked off that avenue".

But the truth is, our complete lack of legal rights has nothing to do with "shortcuts", there are no legal protections or legal options in the United States that allow a foreign national partner to remain in the country based upon their relationship, none. zero. And there never have been any.

And the idea that there are "shortcuts" to green cards for anyone (queer or otherwise) is also laughable in this climate of rampant xenophobia and locked down borders.

For a long time now, my regard for The New York Times continues to fall in terms of whether it's a good thing to regard their news agency's brand of politics: For example, Immigration law and policy. I share the sentiment you express about far reaching implications of the title and content of this particular article. When I see a long revered newspaper allowing and appropriating this kind of journalistic think-tank, especially when it seems that agency watchdog groups are not holding them accountable for 'news' which expresses this type of prejudicial bias, I find myself wondering how deep the climate of xenophobic sentiment is shared among agencies who partner with national sources of media (such as the NYT) and what it takes to hold them to a higher standard of journalism.