Through Thick And Thin Documentary Puts A Face On Immigration For Gay Couples

The U.S. often leaves no way to stay for gay non-citizens...and no future for their relationships.

I never get too heated when it comes to the gay marriage debate, but I watched a documentary directed by Sebastian Cordoba, Through Thick and Thin,  that made me appreciate at least one consequence of the injustice.

I’m sure that was Cordoba’s goal – putting a face on the results of a flaw in our government, even if it’s a flaw I was already aware of. The documentary chronicles seven gay couples' lives, and in each relationship, one person is not a legal U.S. citizen. And since gay partnerships mean next to nothing to our government, the non-natives aren't able to get U.S. citizenship through marriage.

The documentary aired last week in New York as part of NewFest.

Cordoba himself faced this problem: a native Argentinian, he had to end a happy relationship with a New York man because of his uncertain citizenship. Cordoba went on to earn a masters degree in documentary production.

The film definitely made me angry, which I expected. In our government, in this day and age, to have the bureaucracy, the mistreatment of minorities, the backward thinking still so prevalent...it's so ridiculous. And this documentary was definitely a reminder; I felt right there with these couples' frustration. In interviews, just speaking on the subject brought most of them to tears.

More on the Through Thick and Thin couples after the jump.

With Emilio's deportation hearing pending, he and his partner, Tom, will most likely lose their house.

Most of the couple's greatest problem was just uncertainty - their inability to plan a life together since they couldn’t know where the one of them would be in a few years. Some of the couples already were resorting to long-distance relationships.

I think a goal of the film was to show a certain redemption in these couples’ love for each other. (But I probably shouldn’t speak on the creator’s goals.) I actually found these couples’, some more than others, attachment to one another strange and unnerving. Maybe that’s just me being a youngin’, but the renouncements these people make in every other area of their lives just to spend the smallest amount of time together…it just seems weird to me. Obviously, the government could fix it all easily enough, but since it's not going to any time soon, some of the sacrifices seem...too great.

But I probably just can't appreciate their feelings, never having felt that way. It was certainly an interesting reaction to have, beyond the political outrage I expected.

Comments

[Dave]

Thank you for talking about this documentary and the very real problems it tries to bring to the public's attention.

I am living in this situation myself and I can't even attempt to explain the impact this has had on our lives. It's something you can't even be very vocal about out of fear that you'll call attention to your own situation and jeopardize the safety of your partner.

We live in constant fear - especially with the ICE raid frequency increasing in our area. How many people even know that our Immigration & Naturalization Service is now officially known as Immigration & Customs Enforcement (that name change alone speaks volumes).

I'm in my mid-50's and have a reasonably successful career... An aging mother that I need to be able to get to fairly quickly... and now I have to deal with the fact that my partner could be taken from me at any time...

We've considered moving to a more liberal country, but at my age, it's just not easy (a number of the more liberal countries have socialized medicine and retirement - they just don't want people my age).

It's also frustrating to even listen to the news and hear all the anti-immigrant news reports. Have we forgotten the very foundation of our Country. Are we so heartless, that we feel we have the moral authority to deny others a chance at a better future (the Statue of Liberty does NOT say give me your smartest, richest people).

In listening to the anti-immigration rhetoric, I can't help but think that these people are basically saying "Let's keep this country pure" (ie. very KKKish type arguments).

The immigration issue is very complex, but I would hope that we could act in a more reasonable and compassionate fashion... Throughout this current immigration debate, the LGBT communities needs are being totally ignored. There is a bill titled the Uniting American Families Act (aka Permanent Partners Immigration Act) that is floundering because of a lack of sponsorship... Both of the top Democratic Candidates (current Senators) for President say that they want the LGBT community treated equally, but NEITHER of them have signed on as a co-sponsor of this bill (there are currently only 3 Senators as co-sponsors).

I haven't seen this movie yet, but I'll definitely look for it...

Thank you for raising the issue.

[Scott]

Immigration issues for bi-national families are a very, very, very big deal. (Can you imagine being separated from your family merely because of immigration laws? come on!) While other families can enjoy the benefits of immigration laws, many other families are torn apart not only because of the physical borders, but also because the immigration laws simply do not recognize their equally loving and committed relationships. It's a family issue, it's an equality issue, period. Look closely at the law, it's very, very simple, (with all the safeguards in place) but the complex issue is getting the support of lawmakers, why? Although it's realized that Congress has been busy with complex immigration issues (and under public scrutiny), the UAFA shouldn't be ignored, and American families should not be ignored also.....After all, one of the main objectives (and a priority) of immigration is family unity, right?