Henry Velandia and Josh Vandiver were legally married in Montville, Conn., on Aug. 29. However, the joy of their honeymoon happiness has been disrupted by the bigoted immigration policies of the U.S. federal government.
 Josh Vandiver and Henr |
Connecticut legally recognizes any marriage between two people. However, the federal government does not recognize this state-sanctioned marriage as legally valid. If it did, the newlyweds would not be facing the fight of their lives.
Velandia, a Venezuelan national, is in the deportation process because the Federal Defense of Marriage Act prevents Vandiver, a U.S. citizen, from sponsoring his husband’s residency—a right granted to heterosexual bi-national couples.
Velandia and Vandiver are not the only same-sex married couple in this situation. There are many couples and families who face this kind of discrimination. Many families are torn apart because of the racism and homophobia on which capitalism thrives.
