Protests are occurring in cities throughout California and the nation. People, regardless of race, gender, and sexual orientation, are standing up for the right to marry for same-sex couples, refusing to allow the proponents of Proposition 8, of discrimination and homophobia, to prevail.

API Equality-LA encourages its members and supporters to take part in these actions of support both peacefully and respectfully, keeping in mind that we need to remain positive and forward thinking as we make our voices heard. Borrowing a tip from Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), try to convey a message of acceptance for everyone, we encourage you to be creative, and inspirational, with your signage at the protests without negatively targeting any particular community.

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Los Angeles – On March 5, 2009, the California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Proposition 8, a measure revoking marriage rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. API Equality – LA, an organization that has worked diligently for Marriage Equality rights since 2005, hopes the Supreme Court will invalidate the proposition, one that affects the lives of thousands of Asian and Pacific Islanders.

“The real threat of Prop. 8 is not just against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Californians, it is against all Californians,” said Karin Wang, Vice President of Asian Pacific American Legal Center and API Equality – LA steering committee member. “A core purpose of the California Constitution is to ensure that the law treats all people equally, including minority groups. If upheld, Prop. 8 will set a dangerous precedent, where a simple majority vote is able to strip away the fundamental rights of a protected minority group.”

According to the Williams Institute, a LGBT think tank based at UCLA, there are approximately 66,000 LGBT Asian and Pacific Islanders living in California—the largest in the nation. If Prop 8 is allowed to stand , the fundamental right of same-sex couples to marry will be stripped from them.