Improving immigration rights for gay marriage is helping lots of same-sex couples who live in the United States to be able to finally acquire the legal status that they require in order for them to live together without the fear of forced separation.
Many have been waiting years for such equality, including Australian-born Anthony Makk and his US partner Bradford Wells, and the ability to be recognized as a legally married couple means a tremendous boost to the quality of their lives. CNN says that Makk and Wells have been partners for over two decades, while their union is also being viewed as important due to the fact that Makk acts as Wells’ caretaker, with the latter suffering from AIDS.
Two years ago, back in 2010, the US government denied Makk’s application for a permanent residency green card due to the fact that the same-sex union was not recognized by the Defense of Marriage Act as a valid one. With DOMA having now been revised and on its way out, the couple has finally been able to get some closure, meeting with officials at an immigration office in San Francisco earlier this week and being informed that their marriage, which was performed in Massachusetts nearly ten years ago, is now legal under US law, the San Francisco Chronicle says.
“They verified that we have a real marriage,” Wells told the paper. “My application for a petition to have him immigrate as my spouse has been approved. It means that I’m equal to every other American… I’m no longer a subclass.”