July 23, 2025 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

At the Intersection of Civil Rights, LGBTQ+ Community Stands With DREAMers

On Monday, Dec. 11, the LGBTQ+ community took a stand for the rights of the embattled undocumented Americans known as DREAMers, an acronym for immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as minors. At a press conference held at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Mi Centro location in Boyle Heights, multiple undocumented LGBT people shared their fears and concerns about deportation, and pressed for Congress to pass legislation to allow them to stay in the United States.

The DREAM Act (which stands for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) would provide qualified applicants a path to permanent residency in the U.S. The bipartisan legislation was first introduced in 2001 and was subsequently reintroduced four times. Each time the bill failed to pass.

For undocumented LGBT immigrants, deportation carries extra risks. In many cases, their countries of origin have harsh, discriminatory policies and homophobic and transphobic cultures that would threaten their health and safety.

“Deportation is comparable to a death sentence for LGBTQ people in many parts of the world,” said Los Angeles LGBT Center Director of Policy and Community Building Dave Garcia. “Same-sex relationships are criminalized in nearly 80 countries worldwide. Rescinding DACA would put thousands of these young people at risk by forcing them to return to countries where human rights for LGBTQ people are nonexistent.”

According to a report from the UCLA Williams Institute, there are over 75,000 LGBT DREAMers in the U.S. and over 36,000 enrolled in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the vast majority of whom live in California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Florida.

In 2012, following the most recent failure to pass the DREAM Act, President Barack Obama issued an executive order that substituted as a watered-down version of the DREAM Act. The order, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), was later rescinded by President Donald Trump, casting the 800,000 enrollees into a state of legal uncertainty. Multiple lawsuits currently exist that challenge the repeal.

The event brought together a coalition of immigrant and LGBTQ advocacy groups, including the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Equality California, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), CenterLink, Latino Equality Alliance (LEA), UCLA Dream Resource Center, and LGBT Center OC.

The debate surrounding the DREAM Act has gained new relevance with the upcoming budget negotiations in the House of Representatives.

Despite having a majority of the seats, Republicans are unable to pass a budget to fund the government. In order to avoid a government shutdown, they must rely on the Democrats, who have a long list of demands in exchange for their votes – chief among them, protections for DREAMers.

The deadline for a funding bill is December 22.

More than 80 LGBTQ community centers and 26 statewide LGBTQ organizations from across the country signed letters to leadership in the United States Senate and House of Representatives urging Congress to pass the DREAM Act.

“Brought to our country as children, many of these individuals do not even remember the country they came from and consider America to be their only home,” the letter states. “Congress must pass the DREAM Act to protect 800,000 immigrant youth – including LGBT youth – from deportation. This is a moral imperative.”

Related Posts

Unmasking ICE: Senators Push for Visible IDs After Secretive LA Immigration Raids

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bill Requires Federal Agents to Display Visible Identification During Raids U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on...

Bacio di Latte’s Beverly Hills Gelateria Debut Blends Italian Tradition with California Cool

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Gelateria Features In-House Gelato, Espresso Drinks, and Decadent Signature Flavors Bacio di Latte has officially opened its latest U.S. flagship...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

Rainbow Crosswalk at Pulse Memorial Could Be Removed Under New Federal Rules

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Trump Administration’s Program Urges States to Eliminate “Non-safety” Road Art, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a bizarre order for...

Brentwood Feels Impact as Feds Slash Office Leases Across Los Angeles

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

New Tracker Reveals Over 70,000 Square Feet Cut in 2025 Alone Los Angeles County’s office market is experiencing a fresh...

Interview: The Dinah Creator Mariah Hanson on Legacy, Change, and the Future of Queer Celebration

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

After 34 Groundbreaking Years, Hanson Reflects on Joy, Power, and Her Final Dinah  We spoke with Mariah Hanson, the creator...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

One Last Bite: La Novia Bids Farewell with Final Pop-Up at Cardinale du Vin

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Inventive Latin-Asian Pop-up Serves Seasonal Small Plates for One-Night-Only La Novia, the pop-up kitchen known for its inventive Latin-Asian flavors,...

Governor Newsom Unveils Fast-Track Rebuilding Plan on Six-Month Anniversary of Palisades Fire

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

State Clears Over 5.5 Billion Pounds of Debris From Fires Ahead of Schedule Marking six months since the devastating Eaton...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

July 4 ICE Raid on WeHo Car Wash Ends in Deportation of Local Resident

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Longtime West Hollywood Worker with Family’s Rent Money Taken in Raid A group of masked men and women, without official...

Bel Air and Holmby Hills Estates Lead May’s List of America’s Top 10 Home Sales

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

LA Claims Two of the Top Three Luxury Home Sales Last Month expensive residential transaction in the U.S. for May,...

Newhart Family Lists Beloved Comedy Legend’s Townhouse in Century City

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Late TV Star’s Custom Townhouse, Filled With Memories and Holiday Cheer  A luxurious Century Woods townhouse once home to comedy...

Caitlyn Jenner’s Friend and Former Foundation CEO Dies in Malibu ATV Crash

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

ATV Plummeted 350 Feet After Rear-Ending Vehicle in Malibu Sophia Hutchins, former CEO of the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation and longtime...