Inspiration for this site

My inspiration for this site has been an evolving one. For obvious reasons, we need the topics of Marriage Equality and Binational Couples to be talked about- by everyone. My idea started out as an idea for my wedding reception. I started thinking about how many people will be there to celebrate with us, and then go to the polls to vote in 2012, having never known that their vote could directly affect the couple they just celebrated. Who wants politics in their wedding? Not me. But I do want my family together. So I decided that the placecards at the tables would be replaced with definitions of DOMA and the Binational Couple (shhh I haven't broken that to my fiance, yet!). Heck- why not make them the party favors, too! And why not put several of them at each seat so they can pass them out to their friends.

Then I thought- all of us should do this. Okay, maybe not at our weddings, but every other day.

As a binational couple:

How many times have you spoken to someone about your situation and have gotten one of these replies:

Why don't you just get married?

Why can't your partner just find a job in the US?

Why don't you just move abroad?

And my favorite which came from my aunt the other day- Can't she just flip burgers or something?!                                                                                               Um, besides the fact that she has an MBA, actually no she cannot.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU GOTTEN ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS FROM A CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER OR MEMBER OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY?

I don't know about you - but I am tired of repeating myself. And then what happens? Someone else asks that person why you don't just get married. They are not a visa expert or maybe not even interested in politics and can no longer remember the reasons you told them. They say, "something about the government." The information stops there and as a whole, many Americans continue to think of criminals and uneducated people when they hear the word immigration.

As a friend/relative of a binational couple:

How shocked were you when you first heard why your friend/relative cannot live with their parter or spouse? That no matter if we are currently physically together or not, we don't have a final answer about our future? That those of us who are married or in a civil union cannot reside permanentely together and are barely supporting our children, but would need to get an actual divorce, the same way you would, should we decide to end our relationship? Nothing about our relationships is different than anyone else's. 

This year my aunt sent an e-mail to my 3 siblings and I asking for Christmas wishes. My brother who is 3 years younger than me asked for a Mercedes. I asked for a repeal of DOMA. My poor aunt had nothing to go on. My brother replied, "What is DOMA?". My aunt, a few days later and trying to appear to be involved, made a joke about DOMA that made it clear to me that she believes DOMA is a positive thing for my partner and I. No one has any clue what they are saying or voting on.

It is simply unnacceptable that our close friends and family members do not know about the struggles we are facing and/or cannot inform others. Our supporters are out there and they don't even know there is something to support.

Please help me spread the word about binational couples and the exisitng laws by helping to share these products.

Our Goal

As I tossed this idea around in my head for several months, I was torn with the idea on how to do it. I want to get the information out and I want to provide you all the tools to do so. On the other hand, money is tight, especially if you are supporting your partner right now. I wasn't sure that I could put a site up here with products that would cost you money! However, I know I can't get the products out to you for free. We are a family of four on one salary. :)

Our goal is simply to push the facts forward and is in no way to profit from getting information out to the public. So many current binational couples have donated photographs and information to this site to keep expenses down. We intend to be able to purchase the supplies needed and pay expenses. We have priced the items so that you can actually think about purchasing! We don't intend on a monetary profit- we just want the products out there. The profit we will hopefully get from this and all other initiatives is to simply wake up together in the same home. Always.