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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 4, 2005)
J|i| ¡UHM! Sinews <Jdi vistine! D eported Portland lesbian denied entry to England to visit partner by Jaymee R. Cuti R LAURELHURST DENTISTRY C larice J ohnston dm d . & amey Holsman and Kate Cooper tle, to merge their lives for just less than six have dreams of living a normal live months, the legal length of stay on a U.S.-U.K. together, and at times these dreams visa waiver program. They had purchased a seem grandiose. They imagine the round-trip ticket with a return date coinciding pleasures of day-to-day life as a cou with the birth of Holsman’s niece in Seattle, for ple; simply being in the same country at the which she wanted to be present. same time would vastly improve their relation length of stay raised red flags at the But the ship. But restrictive immigration laws in both customs checkpoint, and Holsman and Cooper the United States and United Kingdom have were held and interrogated separately for eight put a wrench in their plans. hours. Holsman was denied entry to the United Ctxiper, a British citizen from Brighton, met Kingdom but granted a two-day stay on “com Holsman, a native Oregonian, at a New Year’s passionate grounds." Her luggage was searched, Eve party in 2002 in Astoria. Both agree it was her address book, sketchbook and journal were love at first sight. Cooper was in the States on seized and copied, and she now had a 2-inch- holiday, visiting her brother, who is married to thick file with the British immigration depart an American woman. ment. She was informed that she failed to pro But immigration laws in the post-9/11 era duce evidence that she intended to leave the have kept them an ocean apart, with only brief country. For those two days, the immigration stints of togetherness and thousands of dollars department held her passport, now stamped in phone bills. The couple had spent only six with a denial of entry. months together when Cooper’s visa expired Holsman says she was suspicious that, during and she returned to England. Holsman’s plan to the eight hours she waited, approximately 20 trav spend six months in Eng elers came and went, but land with Cooper was only one of them was thwarted by strict immigra white. She identified the tion policy and what they ethnicities of fellow perceive as possible sexual detainees as African, orientation and racial profil Asian and Middle Eastern. ing. Holsman is half Korean In their two days American. together, instead of tour “It’s bizarre to be in a ing museums while walk relationship where you try to ing hand in hand, Cooper live in the moment but you and Holsman busied have to keep records and themselves by meeting plan ahead to be together,” with solicitors and calling — Kate Cooper says Cooper, who is in the members of Parliament, States on a tourist visa. in a futile attempt to over According to British law, a noncitizen who turn the immigration department’s decision. has cohabited with his or her unmarried non With representation from an immigration attor British partner for two years is eligible for resi ney and a letter faxed to the immigration depart dency. Cooper and Holsman worked on build ment by Cooper’s member of Parliament stating ing up two years of cohabitation, planning to that he believed it erred in denying Holsman gain residency for Holsman. That proved nearly entry, she was granted a second review, but was impossible when Holsman was denied entry to told to pack her bags to show intent to leave the the United Kingdom by an immigration officer country. at Heathrow Airport in London. In the second interview, lasting seven hours, “It’s nearly impossible to build up this cohab the nature of her relationship with Cooper was itation time if you can’t spend time in the other scrutinized, though she was told that her sexual one’s country,” said Cooper, frustrated at reliving orientation did not have bearing on the depart their ordeal. ment’s decision to grant or deny entry. 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