Man seeks green card after US husband dies

The federal government started issuing 'green cards' to same-sex spouses after the Windsor decision by the Supreme Court last year.

Los Angeles (AP) —A 72-year-old Australian man widowed by his American husband of more than three decades is renewing his pitch for a green card since the Obama administration eased policies on gay marriage.

Anthony Sullivan asked immigration authorities Monday to reopen a petition filed in 1975 by his late husband, Richard Adams, so he can be awarded legal residency as the surviving spouse of a U.S. citizen.

The two were married during a brief period when a county clerk in Boulder, Colo., issued marriage licenses to gay couples in 1975. But the U.S. refused to grant immigration benefits for them.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to comment on the case. The agency began issuing green cards to married gay couples last year after a Supreme Court ruling.

by Amy Taxin, Associated Press

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The Gayly – April 21, 2014 @ 5:30pm