- New York City 06/18/2014 by Linda Perry (WBAI)

At an LGBTQ Democratic National Committtee fundraiser in New York Tuesday evening, President Barack Obama  said "It's not just laws that are changing, it's hearts and minds." He received a standing ovation. when he declared he directed the White House to prepare an executive order barring discrimination by federal contractors on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. 

Outside the fundraiser near Herald Square it was a different story. Immigrant LGBTQ groups including QuiP, Queers Undocumented Immigrant Project, were out in force.

Daniel Ortiz is from Immigration Equality. "We’re demanding an end to the deportation of the immigrant community. In particular, the lgbt community who are some of the uniquely vulnerable members of the immigrant community."

Denise Romero said Obama’s deportation policies have affected millions of people throughout the country, especially queer folks who are often deported to homelands where they are not safe or are actively persecuted.

"And so we’re here to say it’s not ok for Obama to be fundraising from rich individuals who consider themselves queer, but without looking into how his own administration affected the queer community in New York City  and across the country."

Several members sat in the middle of 35th street. They carried signs saying "For LGBT immigrants deportation can be a death sentence!" No one was arrested.

The demonstrators say Obama’s policies link police departments and local agencies with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That translates into a lot of queer folks criminalized.

With Jack Shalom, I’m Linda Perry, WBAI News, NY