LGBT Coalition for Immigration Reform Stands in Solidarity with Fast For Families on National Day to Act, Fast and Pray

WASHINGTON, D.C.  - The nation’s leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations applauded the strength and courage of the men and women who have been fasting for more than 20 days to highlight the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

The LGBT community offered their support to the brave Fasters and several LGBT leaders fasted in solidarity, including:

• Heather Cronk and Felipe Sousa-Rodriguez, GetEQUAL
• Ben de Guzman, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
• Sharita Gruberg and Laura Durso, Center for American Progress
• Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equality

"I am proud to stand in solidarity with the courageous fasters later this week, as I fast for immigration reform myself," said Heather Cronk, co-director of GetEQUAL. "The fearlessness of the immigration fasters stands in stark contrast to the political cowardice of House GOP leadership, who continue to stand defiantly in the way of reforming our broken immigration system. We continue to look to Republican leadership in the House to not only end the fast, but also end the pain of millions of families across the country who live in fear each day because of this broken system." The LGBT community is committed to passing compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform that will provide a roadmap for citizenship for the 11 million undocumented men, women and children living in our country, including at least 267,000 LGBT undocumented immigrants.

Every day Congress fails to reform our broken immigration system, 1,100 families are torn apart. As a nation, we pride ourselves on keeping families united, and our immigration policies should reflect our commitment to keep families together – all families. Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Anglican bishop and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, has visited with the Fasters every evening since last Friday and led them in prayer. “The Fast For Families experience is inspiring, courageous and holy,” said Bishop Robinson.  “What an honor to stand with them as they fast on behalf of those who want to become contributing American citizens but are denied by the House of Representatives' refusal to bring Immigration Reform to a vote. As LGBT people, and from our own experiences, we recognize injustice when we see it.  And when human beings are treated unjustly, we all must rise up together in solidarity with them.” Coalition partners include: Center for American Progress, Equality Federation, GetEQUAL, GLAAD, Lambda Legal, The National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Center for Transgender Equality, The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance and United We Dream’s Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project. To learn more or to speak with Mara Keisling, please contact Lisa Mottet at [email protected] / (o) 202-903-0112.