Washington, D.C.-- Today, queer undocumented youth from United We Dream’s Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project (QUIP) are
in Washington, D.C., committing to organize and advocate for a pathway to citizenship and LGBTQ family
inclusion for 11 million Americans without
papers. QUIP leaders will attend
an event called “The LGBT Undocumented” this afternoon at the Washington,
D.C.-based progressive think tank Center for American Progress.
Next week, United We Dream will hold an 11 Million Coming Out Week of Action,
with coordinated activities happening across the country, driving calls and
online actions to key Senators like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and urging LGBTQ
inclusion in any legislative proposal.
Dreamers and their parents will share their personal stories and
experiences, elevating the need for immigration reform that puts all 11 million
undocumented immigrants in the U.S. on the road to citizenship.
“Undocuqueer leaders
across the country are calling for a pathway for citizenship that doesn’t leave
anyone behind. We will not choose
one issue over the other,” said Jorge
Gutierrez, United We Dream’s Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project (QUIP)
Coordinator. “Protecting the unity
of our immigrant families and dignity of our LGBTQ communities is at the center
of our organizing and advocacy efforts.”
For more info on today’s event, click here or follow the hashtag
#Out4Citizenship on Twitter. QUIP
leaders will be available for comment and to share their stories and
experiences at the intersection of two powerful, and connected, movements-- the
LGBTQ movement and the immigrant justice movement. The event, and the ongoing work of QUIP, will shine a light
on issues that affect the LGBTQ undocumented community, ensuring that those
most affected are at the core of efforts and conversations around immigration
reform.
Queer undocumented
youth leaders are also calling on all immigration reform organizations to stand
up and demand the inclusion of LGBTQ families in any immigration reform
proposals and inviting mainstream LGBTQ advocacy organizations to engage in the
immigration debate to push for inclusive reform. By pledging to “come out,”
using a concept that originated in the LGBTQ rights movement, and asking LGBTQ
groups to “come out” with the undocumented community, QUIP leaders are bridging
the two struggles.
“As a person of
multiple identities, I want to ensure that the different facets of my life no
longer have to be divided and made to settle,” said Alma Leyva, a QUIP leader from Orange County, CA. “Winning immigration reform that is not
inclusive to LGBTQ community would uplift one identity while continuing to
marginalize another. I want immigration reform to recognize all of my
humanity.”
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United We Dream is the first and largest
immigrant youth-led network in the nation with 57 affiliate organizations in 25
states that organize and advocate for a roadmap to citizenship for 11 million
undocumented Americans; fair treatment under the law for all, including access
to higher education, health care, and safe, fair working conditions; and an end
to senseless deportations and abuses.
UWD’s Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project seeks to develop queer
undocumented youth, while bridging the immigrant rights and LGBTQ movements to
build alliances and increase our political power.
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