Lesbian Facing Separation to Attend State of the Union
One half of a bi-national same-sex couple that could face separation under current immigration law will attend the upcoming State of the Union address, the Washington Blade has learned exclusively.
Kelly Costello, who’s 30 and lives in Potomac, Md., with her Peruvian native spouse Fabiola Morales, 39, received a ticket to attend the speech on Tuesday evening from Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).
Speaking with the Blade, Costello said she’s “grateful and excited” for what she called a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” — particularly in the wake of Obama’s call to include bi-national gay couples as part of comprehensive immigration reform.
“This is something that we have been fighting for a long time,” Costello said. “People before me have fought for it. I feel like, right now, we are living in an important historical moment where the president has already addressed providing equal rights for us, and I think it’s really come to forefront.”
The couple, who married in D.C. in 2011, is in danger of separation because the Defense of Marriage Act prohibits Costello from sponsoring Morales via a marriage-based green card application for residency in the United States.
Photo via Immigration Equality