Thursday, May 7, 2009

Yasmin Nair: Eat this!

By Madison Reed

Yasmin Nair, a writer for the blog QueerCents.com, recently created a topic about the Uniting American Families Act - pending legislation that will correct a serious discriminatory flaw in U.S. immigration law that denies the right to immigrate to the United States to the foreign partners or legally married spouses, etc. of gay and lesbian American citizens or permanent residents, unlike for heterosexual Americans, who can easily sponsor their partners for family unification. Take a look at my friend Patrick Brent's website IMEQ.US, to learn more about same-sex bi-national couples and the Uniting American Families Act.

Nair, who has described herself as a "queer lesbian who loves cock," in her profile at QueerCents.com, opens up her topic "Uniting American Families Act: Facts, Fiction, Money and Emotions" and begins attacking the bill and its backers, who are the affected class of same-sex bi-national American couples and their supporters who back full equality for all Americans.

She goes nowhere with her goal, that seems to be nothing more than a mean-spirited attempt to tear down the Uniting American Families Act and to ridicule bi-national couples like myself and my Belarusian partner who lives 5000 miles from me, who are painfully affected by the grotesque inequalities built into U.S. immigration law that the Uniting American Families Act will correct.

Nair seems to take jabs at the institution of marriage in general, and rightfully laments the extreme hardships that millions of undocumented illegal immigrant workers face, but she unconvincingly accuses the people who support the UAFA as being some kind of odd and selfish leftist gay elitists. Her information is riddled with error - no doubt deliberate disinformation, or else she's just plain stupid.

When asked for clarification, or decently confronted with reasonable arguments in support of the Uniting American Families Act, she resorts to humiliating personal attacks and finally censorship, after first sidelining me on her blog, followed by her refusal to publish my final reply to her bullsh*t. After sending a complaint Queercents.com's founder, Nina Smith, her topic's activity was shut down. Thank you Nina!

One can only be led to question the purity of Nair's motivation for attacking us. Who is she working for, or why is she grinding her axe against decent people who are fighting for justice?

So Ms. Nair, I'm not going to let you hide your censorship or your destructive work. Yes, I do have a blog, since you brought it up, but I'm usually writing about gay equality and enlightenment issues on other blogs. Thanks for telling me to get lost and to go to my own blog to express myself. You've helped me start the process of expressing my ideas on my own blog, rather than wasting my energy and valuable ideas on dead-end blog pages written by people such as yourself.

Censored by Yasmin, 5/7/2009:
Dear Yasmin,

I sensed you would in the end resort to this tactic of silencing those who have presented valid arguments for the Uniting American Families Act, and equality for bi-national same-sex couples.

What's your argument? Despite your voluminous piffle, you really haven't stated any clear intellectual argument against the UAFA or even marriage, or presented reasons for your opposition to anything. Now you tell us that you are against "gay marriage," whatever that means.

I'm wondering if you're one of those incomprehensible gay right-winger Republicans! Who are you, and whom do your represent? I'm curious to know, but I doubt that I'll be posting again on your thread. It seems to serve no purpose.
~Madison Reed

For more information about the Uniting American Families Act, visit the following websites:

http://www.out4immigration.org


http://www.imeq.us
-->People Magazine interview about Shirley Tan and Jay Mercado
-->"United by Love" video about bi-national same-sex couples and the Uniting American Families Act

More about Yasmin Nair's mischief:

http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/queercents-shuts-down-new-bloggers-first-blog-to-comments/


http://www.gayliberation.net/opinion/2008/0618wct_letters.html




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7 comments:

Mickey Lim said...

Yasmin's writing are all of the same vein. While she might not admit it, she herself engages in class warfare. All her writings come from this perspective. If a particular issue does not align with her particular insight it is useless and (from her perspective) of questionable of no value. That wouldn't be so bad, except that she goes to the next step and advocates opposition to issues.

She finds no value in committed loving relationships - She finds that such relationships are inherently flawed and ultimately damaging to all involved. As such, in her estimation, all structures and institutions that utilize this construct as a basis, are flawed and must be torn down.

I for one feel that "to each his or her own". If you don't want Marriage (in what ever form) then don't get married. I DO have a problem with people telling me what I can or more importantly what I cannot do: be it the Jerry Falwell's of the world or the Yasmin Nair's of the world. They are at polar opposites and both are very intelligent and as a result, both (in my personal opinion) equally destructive. (Although given that Mr Falwell has a position of greater power, he can inflict more actual damage.)

How to respond: I decided a few years ago, after personally being the subject of one of her hit pieces to refrain from engagement. I believe it was Mark Twain that said, "Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

What she doesn't get is that UAFA really is about equality (without regard to class) If a straight person has the right to sponsor their family (spouse) then the gay person should have the equal right (to sponsor their partner.) Well over 50% of all green cards are currently issued via the policy of "Family Unification" We are AUTOMATICALLY excluded from the vast majority of green cards.

Talk about class disparity: for the small remaining greencards currently available, one must have a really good job and really good education and alot of money ... and even then it is difficult at best. I will agree that the current scheme is broken without regard to LGBT people. I have been part of the greater Comprehensive Immigration Reform movement for years now, and I'm not inclined to justify my credentials or the work of Out4Immigration to her; however, any system will be discriminatory in some way because this country has never and will never (in my lifetime) open the boarders to literally everyone (which is her ultimate and only legitimate solution.) I believe that it can and should be better than it is currently, and I believe that what ever scheme is put together, it should grant LGBT people the same right as straights. If you don't appreciate or want those rights, you don't have to exercise them. I vote, some people don't (which is also their right)

Her world perspective excludes me and anyone with whom she disagrees from seeking our own form of happiness: and she has shown no propensity for opening her mind. As such, again, I will not engage.

In areas that we agree, I will be happy to work with her or anyone else. Out4Immigration is all volunteer, and all our work is only what the dedicated members individually undertake. Generally, with jobs and lives, and immigration troubles of our own, the time that any of us have is at best limited. I encourage EVERYONE to work on issues and techniques where they have passion and resources. I know that this effort and the work of all of us give me strength and hope. I will not be dissuaded by extremists on either side.

Mickey Lim, RPh
VP Out4Immigration

Anonymous said...

I think it may have been my comment to her that may have triggered the censorship. Sorry. I told her that she is a very angry person who probably suffers from ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder).

Anonymous said...

Great Blog, Mickey and Madison- all the true activists. I was astounded by Ms. Nair's response to me response. She accused me of being inflammatory. Had she not written an inflammatory initial post I do not believe I would have been inflammed, as indeed I was. Mickey you are correct instead of explaning her ideas, she attacks back and in a rather defensive manner. I truly believe that this is the only way she can draw attention to herself, otherwise she would be just like us - your regular run of the mill activists, a case of "oppositional defiance" disorder, per chance? - a means to an end, the content of the opposition is not important, hence the inability to explain, it is the mere opposition that is important.

I wanted to respond to her response to my comments but the comments were shut down by the time I got there; so I will come and put my response on your BLOG here, "Yasmin Eat this. I will also link my own BLOG.

http://www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com

Also Interesting is the title of her BLOG, the mission of the BLOG site - she fails to produce a thesis and if one can go by the title, she fails to deliver if in fact she tries to assert that there is a thesis.

lotusopening said...

Is that you Melanie? If it is, then let me take this opportunity to personally thank you for all your work on behalf of Shirley Tan and her family!! You rock!

About Nair - regardless of her harm to other people, we can still hope that she awakens and becomes a deeply happy queer lesbian!! I mean it! Imagine what a compassionate, wise, happy queer lesbian could do for all of us if she started to care for our welfare! I hope Nair really "gets" it - that the Law of Cause and Effect is underpinned by the Law of Attraction; and that the Universe sends you more of what you're putting out!

And on top of that, God surely must have a deep sense of humor. Otherwise, how could She stand us? Do you agree? Nair should be more like her Mama - who also goes by the names "God," "Allah," and other divine names - and not be so damn heavy and dark about everything!! I felt the heaviness in Nair's writings. Didn't you? THE Mama loves laughter and goooooood spirits! I mean, really, genuinely good spirits. Mama spews hypocrites out of her mouth, and plays around with the angry mischievous spirits. She can hold up Her mirror and reflect everything back, and keep it going until doomsday. But more than that, Miss/Mrs/Ms-Mama-Allah-God protects her brood. And believe me, same-sex bi-national couples are nestled in the soft down under her protective wings! Nair needs to "understand" that.

On a more serious note though- I can only imagine what motivates people like Nair to trash other people's lives; my guess is that they could be jealous of healthy, happy relationships between people who treasure love, sacrifice for each other, and commitment - or just plain resentful of such. I guess time, and good energy will see what unfolds.

Stick around for a while Melanie. Bring some of your friends over to talk. You're always welcome in my space. More of us need to sit down and have tea or coffee together - because we're family and we really do like each other!

Hugs,
Madison





oblogdeeoblogda said...

Great Blog, Mickey and Madison- all the true activists. I was astounded by Ms. Nair's response to me response. She accused me of being inflammatory. Had she not written an inflammatory initial post I do not believe I would have been inflammed, as indeed I was. Mickey you are correct instead of explaning her ideas, she attacks back and in a rather defensive manner. I truly believe that this is the only way she can draw attention to herself, otherwise she would be just like us - your regular run of the mill activists, a case of "oppositional defiance" disorder, per chance? - a means to an end, the content of the opposition is not important, hence the inability to explain, it is the mere opposition that is important.

Unknown said...

Regardless of what you think about Yasmin, you must be able to see the flaws in UAFA ... I would particularly point out the fact that it does nothing for people who are living in the United States undocumented or out of status, and are LGBTQ. What happens to a person who needs to come to the US but doesn't have a partner? Be it a same-sex partner or not. UAFA fixes a flaw in the immigration system, but it is a fix in an already OBSOLETE immigration system, so what good does it do?

Arthur Schenck said...

Tania, UAFA isn't intended to help undocumented or out of status people. Actually, I'm not aware of any country that allows people such people—in their country illegally—to somehow legalise their status simply by forming a relationship. Ordinarily, one has to be in a country legally to be able to initiate the visa sponsorship process, or else the non-resident partner has to be outside of the country. In this sense, UAFA is consistent with laws of other countries.

You also ask, "What happens to a person who needs to come to the US but doesn't have a partner? Be it a same-sex partner or not." That's also not an issue for UAFA. Someone who needs to come to the US (not sure what you mean by "needs") but who doesn't have a partner would have to go through the same procedures as any other immigrant. I can't see how that's in any way relevant to UAFA.

UAFA is a focused bill that, if passed and signed by the president, will make US immigration law as it relates to GLBT couples the same as it is for other countries. That's it. I'm not aware of anyone who supports UAFA who doesn't also think that the US needs comprehensive immigration reform. But the need for so-called CIR doesn't negate the need for UAFA.

Some of us have been waiting a long time for the reforms that UAFA promises

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