Chicago Tribune: Gay immigrants fight to join movement

[marmar]

Gay immigrants fight to join movement
By Antonio Olivo | Tribune staff reporter
December 25, 2007



Chicago's immigrant rights movement was on the verge of making history, and Nicole Perez was ready to lend her voice when she was told, with an angry sneer, that she was not welcome.

That was March 10, 2006. Perez and her lesbian partner, Xiomara Santana, had joined more than 100,000 demonstrators in the Loop for a march that kicked off a nationwide struggle for immigrant rights. Holding hands, the U.S.-born women looked at the Latino faces around them and were reminded of their own families.

Then an elderly man 2 feet away cursed at the couple, spitting out: "Why are you here?"

"I was like: 'We're all here for the same reason. This is as much my issue as it is yours,'" Perez, 25, said, recalling her tears of anger as others at the march laughingly trotted away from a gay and lesbian banner nearby for fear of being associated with the group.

Almost two years later, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is pushing for more recognition in an immigration movement that includes the Catholic Church and others with conservative views about sexual orientation. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-gayimmig_25dec25,1,3149274.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

[Rage for Order]

1. Illegal immigrants...

Hating the homosexuals that American homophobes don't want to... oh, forget it