Our Story
This is a plea to anyone that is willing to help me to stay in the USA legally, and therefore stay with my family. My wife Jessica made the video you see above but if you would like to know more details please read below.
The barbaric law, The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) stifles tens of thousands of Americans in Health Care, living with the same rights as heterosexual couples, Immigration, death benefits and overall quality of life. Please help me and my family to stay together and try to claw back some sanity and FIGHT this unjust law that threatens to take me away from the only person that has ever felt like family to me.
My name is Gemma Perkins and I'm a UK citizen. I'm 28 and this year, I married my beautiful wife, Jessica, an American citizen. I left home when I was aged 15 due to an abusive step mother and my mother died of cancer when I was 8. As a result, I am completely estranged from my family so I have NO means of a 'safety net' so we need your help. We've already spent $20,000 to be together in the USA on such things as immigration lawyer and a visa group among other things. Each of those efforts turned out to be unsuccessful. Originally we were told by the visa group and a lawyer they recommended to us, that I could get a working visa since I have a bachelors degree in Criminology. As it turns out, I do not qualify for any of the available jobs that require my degree because they are only accepting U.S. citizens. This now means that my only option is to get a student visa by studying in the U.S. so I'm currently here under the Visa Waiver Programme until Feb. 20th.
Since gay marriage is NOT recognized by federal law I am not eligible for a spousal Visa and we are now facing being ripped apart because I'm not allowed to stay permanently or work in the USA. Under the misguidance of the immigration lawyer and visa group, we both gave up our jobs to be together and have had NO income for 6 months so we have lived off food packages and handouts from Jessica's extended family. I obviously gave up my job in the prison service to be with Jessica in the U.S. and my wife gave up her career at AT&T so that she could spend a month in England with me while I sorted out my life in the UK and to return to her home state of NY where gay marriage is recognized. But it has taken her a few months to secure her new job. Time is running out. We have sold EVERYTHING that we own to make ends meet. Everything that our previous careers had earnt us has gone because we want to stay together. Initially we thought our legal advice and plans to make it work would ensure we'd stay together.
A few weeks ago, I got accepted into John Jay School of Criminal Justice in NYC to start my Masters degree. Previously, I supported myself to gain my Bachelors degree in Criminology because I believe that SUCCESS is the best revenge in life. I believe that we should strive for more, even when we have had tragic circumstances unfold. The ONLY way I can stay with my wife and step-children is to obtain a Student Visa. PLEASE, PLEASE is there someone that can help me raise funds to aid with my paying for my F1 Student visa, commute to campus and my tuition? Jessica has recently got a new job BUT her income alone will not cover our outgoings.
The Impact
Jessica is the most important person in my life. Having never had love as a child or growing up, I feel safe, secure and truly happy when I am around her. Like me, she is frightened at potentially being 3500 miles apart. If we could gain some help from the compassionate people that read this then you would help to get us together.
It's hard to write this without crying. If I lost my Jessica then I daren't think about what the consequences would be. I can't focus when we're apart. We both struggle to sleep and we both lose weight. The time difference also makes it near impossible to have 'quality' time on the phone or Skype. I can't leave the US without her and she CANNOT move to the UK yet because we have a 12 year old child in school and her father will not allow us to take her to the UK. I feel ill to think I may not be allowed to live with her. I'm only allowed 3 months stay under the Visa Waiver program. When I returned to the US in November, I was taken into a room by the Department Of Homeland Security and interviewed because this was my third entry. If they question me again then I could be banned from the US and deported back to the UK. Please help us.
ADDITION 01/06/12 - Starting to feel sick now! We have just found out that the payment plans have been changed because we had some mis-leading information two months ago. The reality of being without Jessica is making me feel stressed, ill, tired and completely drained of mental energy. If we don't come up with $2600 before January 24th, I'll have to leave my wife behind and won't be able to return to the US for some time. PLEASE HELP ME.... I feel so tired and sick with this. DOMA IS KILLING ME!!!!
In Feb 2011 the Obama Administration stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act in the courts BUT some judges are still deporting the foreign half of bi-national spouses!! In Nov the first stage of the repeal of DOMA was passed by the house but it wont pass a republican senate. If DOMA doesn't get repealed then Jessica will never be able to sponsor me as her spouse to stay with her.
For me, Love is LOVE, gay or straight.
What We Need & What You Get
Firstly, we are OUT of funding sources. All belongings have been sold, I have no family to fall back on and Jessica's family don't have money to help us stay together. ALL of the money we can raise on here will go towards paying for my first months tuition.
THIS HAS BEEN AMENDED. I need to pay $2600 before January 24th to start my classes. If I do not have this then I wont be able to start my classes and I will have to return to the UK. Essentially, that means we will be separated as of Feb 20th, something I'm struggling to come to terms with.
I will leave updates and pictures on here of any progress that me and Jessica can salvage. I truly pray that there is someone who can help us. It would mean everything to stay with my family.
I am writing a autobiographical account of my life (as insane as it has been) with the ethos that you can turn a bad situation into a positive experience. When it gets published I'd like to send you all a copy of it. It's the very least I can offer.
Thank you SO much xxxxxx
Gemma and Jessica.
Other Ways You Can Help
I will be commuting to campus via Amtrak. You could help me by sending a gift card that could be used to purchase the pass that I will need.
You cal also vote for senators and representatives that are in favor of repealing DOMA. Daily updates are available at www.whitehouse.gov
Thanks again.
