Gay Married Couple Forced to Live Apart Thanks A Judge in The US and Inexplicably for a UK Judge
A gay couple claims they could be forced to live in separate countries after a judge refused to recognize their marriage. Brian Page, 41, from North Carolina, United States, has failed to get an extension to his UK visa after his latest appeal to the Home Office failed. That means he will be unable to live with his husband Benjamin Page, 36, from Milton Keynes, who is unable to move to the US after receiving a ten-year ban for overstaying.
Brian (left) and Ben Page could be split apart (Picture: SWNS)
The couple got married in New York – three years after same-sex marriages became legal in the state. The Pages spent 18 months in the US but returned to the UK to spend time with Benjamin’s terminally ill mother, who has since died. His dad has now been diagnosed with lung cancer and they want to stay to look after him.
They claim the judge refused to recognize their marriage Picture: SWNS) Brian said: ‘We feel absolutely offended by this as the judge has been extremely disrespectful as it completely changes the whole angle of our marriage which is legally recognized.
‘The LGBTQ community has had to fight for these rights to get married and this undermines this. ‘I never thought we would be here asking for people to help us stay together. ‘We are hard-working people who haven’t ever asked for anything from anyone until now. ‘After draining all of our savings over the last four years fighting this, we don’t have the money to fight this last bit.
The couple was annoyed the judge apparently referred to them as a ‘civil partners’ instead of a ‘married couple’ and argued this was the reason the application for a new visa was denied.
Brian has been told he must either leave the UK within 14 days or apply for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal. He added: ‘The judge has been very disrespectful in refusing to recognize our legal marriage and disregard our relationship.
‘Clearly, my husband and I are not in a position to return to the United States due to the passing of my mother in law and now the diagnosis for lung cancer for my father in law, we would like to remain together so that I may be with my husband, my father in law and offer comfort and support, both mentally and physically at this difficult time.’
The couple is now trying to raise £3,000 to cover the cost of a barrister and has spent more than £16,000 on the application so far. You can contribute to their crowdfunding here. Metro.co.uk has approached the Home Office for a comment.
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