Gay retired House Rep. Barney Frank has provided his take on Senator Patrick Leahy's decision to remove his proposed amendment that would have included LGBT provisions in the Senate immigration reform bill.

Frank explains why he supported Leahy's difficult decision after the jump.

Democratic Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy has withdrawn his proposed amendment to the Senate's immigration reform bill that would have recognized binational same-sex married couples and allowed them to apply for green cards.

His decision came after it became clear that he would not have the 60 votes needed for the bill's passage. Key votes from Democrats were lost as Republican Senators made it clear that they would vote down the bill if LGBT provisions were included. 

More after the jump.

With the U.S. Senate's immigration reform bill looming, Democratic New York Senator called a meeting with New York's leading elected gay officials and activists to discuss the inclusion of a pro-gay provision in the bill. 

The provision, which would protect binational same-sex couples from being separated by allowing foreign members to apply for green cards, has been presented as a make-or-break issue for the entire bill. 

Republicans have threatened to squash the bill if the provision is included. 

So what came out of Schumer's meeting with the prominent gays? Find out after  the jump.

The DOMA Project has done a brilliant job of highlighting the injustices many LGBT binational couples face in light of DOMA rules. This week they brought us the story of David and Jason, a binational couple who have been separated 17 times under DOMA rules—despite being legally married in New York. 

See their heartbreaking “Missing Husband” video below.

Republican former Congressman Jim Kolbe of Arizona is marrying his partner of eight years this weekend in Washington D.C.

Details after the jump!

Stay classy. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has gone on record (well,on Twitter) saying that he will drop support of his own immigration reform bill if it includes provisions benefiting same-sex couples.

More after the jump.

While visiting with Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, President Obama took a few questions from the press over immigration reform and the American LGBT community. Check his response out after the break. 

Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano told the press pool today that her hands are tied by DOMA when it comes to binational same-sex couples.

Openly gay Pulitzer Prize winner Antonio Vargas' tear-jerking plea for protection for binational same-sex couples was met with applause on Capitol Hill today. 

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, one of eight congressional lawmakers tasked with coming up with a plan for immigration reform, is hoping discussions on the subject steer clear of LGBT immigrants. 

After all, the LGBT community is just made up of second class citizens, so who really cares if they're separated from their families? Including them in the discussion would just make things unnecessarily difficult! Obviously.

See what Rubio had to say after the jump.

Updated Tuesday, 3:40 p.m. PST

As scheduled, President Obama delivered his immigration reform speech today in Las Vegas and he did include changes that would protect same-sex families from being separated. 

Watch his speech (and read a reaction from the Human Rights Campaign) after the jump.