Immigration woes for gay couples

Jul 1- Rita Boyadjian wishes she were in a better mood to celebrate the weddings of fellow gay friends after California began legally marrying same-sex couples last month. But her partner of six years is a German woman whose student visa runs out soon.

Even if they were to legally marry in California, Margot (not her real name) could not stay in the United States because the federal government does not recognize same sex marriage for immigration purposes. Boyadjian spoke to Reuters about her decision to move to Germany so the couple and their nine-month-old baby can stay together. Gay rights activists estimate that 40,000 bi-national gay and lesbian couples in the United States are caught in the same legal limbo.