December 2, 2013 will be a memorable day for the United States and the Philippines, as it marks the first time the US Embassy in Manila issued a fiancé visa to a gay couple in the Philippines.
The US Embassy on Friday said it issued a fiancé visa to Noel “Aeinghel” Amaro and Robert Cotterman on Monday.
"Cotterman serves in the US military and is scheduled to return from a tour in Afghanistan in January 2014. The two met online and will be married January 2014 in the United States," it said on its website.
It added that while same-sex marriage is not yet recognized in the Philippines, gay Americans can now "petition for family-based visas on behalf of their Filipino spouses, fiancés, and their children."
The embassy said this stemmed from a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court that struck down the portion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
"Overturning DOMA signifies that the US federal government must extend all federal rights and privileges of marriage to any married couple, regardless of sexual orientation. Currently, gay couples can marry in 16 of 50 American states, and the nation’s capital," the embassy said.
Such an extension of rights includes immigration benefits, it added.
Together after 10 years
Meanwhile, the embassy said Maria Cecilia Limson Gahuman and Maria Carla Antonio also received a fiancé visa.
Gahuman, a Filipina, and Antonio, an American, met through a mutual friend over a decade ago. Until they were granted the visa, there was no way for them to be together.
"With their fiancé visa, the couple will transition their their ten-year relationship from long-distance to marriage in California on December 30, 2013," it said.
The embassy said one of President Barack Obama's priorities has been to advance gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equality.
Following the first issuance of a same-sex visa in London, US State Secretary John Kerry said one of the “most important exports by far is America’s belief in the equality of all people.”
Kerry added “the State Department, which has always been at the forefront of equality in the federal government ... is tearing down an unjust and an unfair barrier that for too long stood in the way of same-sex families being able to travel as a family to the United States.”
Because of this, the embassy said it wants to educate gay Filipinos about new visa opportunities.
"Filipinos in same-sex relationships with Americans are encouraged to view the Visas section of the Embassy website for more information," it said. — JDS, GMA News
source: gmanetwork.com
