About Marriage Equality
API Equality-LA is a coalition of organizations and individuals working in the local Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community to build support for the right of same-sex couples to marry. From its founding in 2005, API Equality-LA has uniquely bridged the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community with the civil rights and other social justice communities, united by a common understanding of the parallels between past anti-miscegenation and current marriage equality struggles.
The debate over marriage equality has been in full swing in California for several years, playing out in multiple arenas including the legislature, the courts and even at the ballot box. In California, same-sex families are afforded some protection under state laws, including the ability to register as domestic partners. However, without marriage, same-sex couples are effectively relegated to a second-class status. In 2007, the California Legislature made history as the only legislative body in the nation to pass equal marriage rights legislation for same-sex couples – actually, California made history two years earlier when it first passed an equal marriage bill but that bill was vetoed by the Governor. In 2008, the California Supreme Court is expected to rule on marriage equality and the state’s voters may face ballot initiatives seeking to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying or even forming domestic partnerships.
Since its inception, API Equality-LA has focused on educating the API community about marriage equality and the impact on API LGBT families. Formed in 2005 by a diverse group of API LGBT individuals and straight allies, API Equality-LA has garnered tremendous broad-based support. More than 40 organizations in Southern California have endorsed API Equality-LA, including APALC as well as other key API organizations such as the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Japanese American Bar Association, Korean Resource Center, Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance and South Asian Network. A diverse group of API lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organizations, such as the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, have also endorsed the coalition. In addition, more than 40 API community leaders, including elected officials, faith-based leaders, celebrities, nonprofit executives, civil rights activists and others have publicly stated their support for API Equality-LA.
Through grassroots outreach efforts at community festivals like the Lotus Festival, the India Independence Day Festival and the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture, API Equality-LA has identified hundreds of API voters who have pledged to support marriage equality in the upcoming elections. API Equality-LA has also reached out to educate diverse audiences within the API community on the importance of marriage equality, as well as supported issues that affect API LGBT community members such as immigration reform.
Many of API Equality-LA’s events have been historic. In May 2007, API Equality-LA helped organize the first-ever API townhall on marriage equality in Los Angeles. Providing different perspectives such as that of a gay parent, a faith leader and a civil rights advocate, the townhall attracted more than 100 people. API Equality-LA also conducted a speakers’ bureau training in 2007 to provide volunteer activists with the tools to give presentations and speak with people one-on-one about the issue of marriage equality. Moreover, API Equality-LA made history in February 2006 when over 70 individuals marched through Los Angeles Chinatown as part of the annual Golden Dragon Lunar New Year Parade – the first time an LGBT contingent participated in this popular, televised parade.