Saturday, June 5, 2010 5:00pm
I've been following a story for a little over a year now that really tugs at my heart strings.
Genesio Oliveira, a native Brazilian man, was deported from the this country and separated from his LEGAL husband, Tim Coco. The two were wed and lived in Massachusetts. While this is unfortunate, it is in more unfortunate that this country denied Oliveira asylum based on the violence that he faced in his country.
In 1994, the United States ruled that it could grant asylum based on violence/imminent danger due to sexual orientation--thanks to Janet Reno--however, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich, didn't think that the fact that Oliveira was raped as a teenager was a problem--he remarked repeatedly that Oliveira was never physically harmed. I would like to point out that a handful of transgendered individuals from have been granted asylum due to violence that was done to them so, it was not as if this was the first time such a case was heard.
It is common knowledge that marrying a US citizen ensures asylum in this country; however, the Defense of Marriage Act prevents same-sex couples from benefiting from this. Since the federal government doesn't recognize same-sex marriage and the Assistant AG saw no need to allow Oliveira to stay in this country, he was sent home to Brazil, away from his husband and back to the place where he was brutalized.
Luckily for Oliveira and Coco, John Kerry was paying attention. The Massachusetts senator and former Democratic Candidate didn't flip flop on this issue for an instant. Kerry worked to reunite the couple--not wavering or giving up, even when Oliveira was denied entry to the country to stand with his family as they buried Coco's mother. Finally after three years, Kerry managed to push federal officials to allow Oliveira back into the country on humanitarian grounds.
Oliveira is now back where he belongs, with his husband in the home they bought together.
I've been following a story for a little over a year now that really tugs at my heart strings.
Genesio Oliveira, a native Brazilian man, was deported from the this country and separated from his LEGAL husband, Tim Coco. The two were wed and lived in Massachusetts. While this is unfortunate, it is in more unfortunate that this country denied Oliveira asylum based on the violence that he faced in his country.
In 1994, the United States ruled that it could grant asylum based on violence/imminent danger due to sexual orientation--thanks to Janet Reno--however, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich, didn't think that the fact that Oliveira was raped as a teenager was a problem--he remarked repeatedly that Oliveira was never physically harmed. I would like to point out that a handful of transgendered individuals from have been granted asylum due to violence that was done to them so, it was not as if this was the first time such a case was heard.
It is common knowledge that marrying a US citizen ensures asylum in this country; however, the Defense of Marriage Act prevents same-sex couples from benefiting from this. Since the federal government doesn't recognize same-sex marriage and the Assistant AG saw no need to allow Oliveira to stay in this country, he was sent home to Brazil, away from his husband and back to the place where he was brutalized.
Luckily for Oliveira and Coco, John Kerry was paying attention. The Massachusetts senator and former Democratic Candidate didn't flip flop on this issue for an instant. Kerry worked to reunite the couple--not wavering or giving up, even when Oliveira was denied entry to the country to stand with his family as they buried Coco's mother. Finally after three years, Kerry managed to push federal officials to allow Oliveira back into the country on humanitarian grounds.
Oliveira is now back where he belongs, with his husband in the home they bought together.
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