Champions of equality slammed Democratic members on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday after it succumbed to the pressure of rightwing threats by removing a crucial amendment to the immigration reform package that would have provided inclusion and protection of LGBT members of immigrant and binational families.

“I’m committed to ending that discrimination,” Leahy said before withdrawing the amendment which Republican lawmakers said would essentially kill the legislation either at the committee level or in the full Senate.

But LGBT activists, tired of their continued exclusion from equal treatment under the law, say the move is just another cave by the Democrats.

“Republicans came after LGBT families, and Democrats didn’t stand up,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of the Immigration Equality Action Fund which advocates on behalf of the LGBT community in immigration matters.

“There should be shame on both sides of the political aisle for lawmakers who worked to deny LGBT immigrant families a vote,” she said.

Though she acknowledge that both Sen. Leahy and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had voiced strong support for the amendment’s inclusion, Tiven said the Democratic leaders on the committee caved to bullying from the GOP and other regressive forces by accepting a “false choice” between LGBT families and immigration reform.

“Senators have lined up in recent months to proclaim their support for marriage equality and LGBT rights,” Tiven added. “Yet, given the first opportunity to put their vote where their talking point is, they failed. Our families need deeds, not words.”

According to Tiven’s groups, an estimated 36,000 couples are raising more than 25,000 children within the United States (with countless others living in forced exile) are unable to sponsor their spouse or partner for residency under current immigration law because of their sexual status.

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