U.S. Immigration Policy and Practices' Effects on LGBTQ+ Migrants

Kaitlin Bates

Final Project: https://view.genial.ly/654e867681869c001131829a/interactive-content-theo-203-final-portfolio 

       I researched how American immigration policy directly affects LGBTQ+ migrants' ability to move across borders. I chose this topic because I wanted to find out how immigration policy disenfranchises LGBTQ+ migrants based on their gender/sexual orientation. Based on my research, it is clear that several immigration policies and practices throughout history have systematically restricted access for LGBTQ+ migrants to gain status in the United States because of their gender/sexual orientation. My final project is an interactive, virtual timeline of LGBTQ+ immigration policies and practices that explains the history and effects. Clicking on each event will provide a description of the policy/practice itself, and further interaction will explain how the policy/practice directly impacts LGBTQ+ migrants' ability to gain status. I believe this format is best to present my research because it is both visual and interactive. I personally find learning this way to be much more engaging and digestible, which I think is beneficial when trying to learn about such complexities like immigration policy and its effects.

       Various cases and acts over time have shaped LGBTQ+ migrants' ability to gain status in the U.S., especially in the past 50 years. I would argue that the most important cases are: 1990 Toboso-Alfonso, 1996 DOMA, 2013 U.S. v. Windsor, and 2015 Obergefell, et al. v. Hodges. In order to understand how immigration policy affects LGBTQ+ migrants, one must understand the underlying structures and biases at play when immigration policies are made, particularly xenophobia and homophobia/transphobia. LGBTQ-related immigration policy is an intersectional issue, which requires us to reframe our understanding of how civil rights and mobility can interact with one another.