Tuesday Night Cafe is an event that “build[s] space for people to connect through the artistic expression of the API and L.A. communities and to provide time for cultural, social, and political awareness with opportunities for involvement, collaboration, real relationship-building and action.” Join API Equality-LA for at a night dedicated to increasing awareness for marriage equality and mobilizing the youth! Members from API Equality-LA are also invited to perform. Please message us for more information.

When: Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Where: 120 Judge John Aiso St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | [Map]

Questions/Comments: Brian Nguyen | contact@apiequalityla.org | (323) 860-7348

San Francisco – Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal issued a stay of Judge Vaughn Walker’s order overturning Proposition 8. Judge Walker’s decision had declared that Prop 8 violated the equal protection and due process rights of gays and lesbians guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. The Court of Appeal’s order provides for an expedited appeal process, and it has scheduled a hearing on the merits of the case as well as whether the proponents of Proposition 8 have standing to appeal Judge Walker’s decision for the week of December 6, 2010.

API Equality-LA Director Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong states, “API Equality-LA is very disappointed that the Ninth Circuit has chosen to delay same-sex couples from exercising their equal right to marry the person they love, but we are not surprised that the court is being careful to ensure that the judicial process takes into account all arguments from both sides. While we must wait a little longer, we firmly believe that we will win back and preserve the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. As this case continues forward, we believe it underscores the importance of organizations like API Equality-LA, which has worked for more than five years to successfully increase support for marriage equality.

San Francisco – Today, federal district court judge Vaughn Walker lifted the stay on his recent historic decision overturning Proposition 8, allowing gays and lesbians to once again legally marry in California beginning August 18, 2010 at 5:01 p.m., pending an appeal to the federal appellate court. Both California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown issued statements on Friday, August 6, 2010, supporting the immediate issuance of marriage licenses for same-sex couples.

The Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Director of API Equality-LA stated, “API Equality-LA is looking forward to the day when Asian and Pacific Islander same-sex couples will once again be able to have their loving relationships legally and equally recognized by the state. Several members of our coalition are already anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get married. Depriving and delaying gay and lesbian couples the fundamental protections inherent in marriage only harms their children and families, without benefiting anyone else. Ultimately, API Equality-LA’s work is not done until we have fully restored marriage equality in California and the majority of our community stands with us, in support of fairness and equal treatment of gays and lesbians.”

San Francisco – Today, federal district court judge Vaughn Walker ruled that California’s Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution in denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Civil rights and advocacy groups, including Asian and Pacific Islander (API) organizations and leaders, praised the judge’s decision. Today’s win is particularly gratifying for the API community who has been at the forefront of efforts to gain marriage equality both in California and nationally.

“API Equality-LA and our partner, API Equality-Northern California, applaud the judge’s meticulous and carefully reasoned decision that Proposition 8 violates the basic constitutional rights of lesbian and gay couples,” said Doreena Wong, Co-Chair of API Equality-LA. “The judge’s conclusions add to the growing consensus in courts and legislatures across the country that no good reasons exist for continuing to exclude same-sex couples from marriage. Instead, the evidence and legal arguments showed that Proposition 8 harms loving gay and lesbian couple and their families, while helping no one,” added Heidi Li, API Equality-Northern California Steering Committee Member.

Judge Walker’s decision is important to Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in California, where the more than 66,000 APIs who identify as gay or lesbian comprise the largest community of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) APIs in the United States, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.

“Victories like today’s decision inspire important conversations about the harms of discrimination and the need for equality under law for all people,” said Tawal Panyacosit, Director of API Equality-Northern California. “But, we cannot rest on our laurels. These critical dialogues must continue, as we must also speak to the many other ways LGBTQI APIs are harmed by injustice, like Shirley Tan and Jay Mercado, a same-sex Filipina couple who face continued threat of separation due to an unfair immigration system. We know from our years of work educating the API community about these issues that it is these discussions within our own communities that changes hearts and minds.”

Added Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Director of API Equality-LA, “All across the nation, APIs have played an integral role in advancing the right of same-sex couples to marry-as plaintiffs, judges and witnesses in legal cases and as elected and community leaders in the court of public opinion. APIs personally know the history and impact of marriage discrimination and today, we cheer Judge Walker’s decision as being on the right side of history, where discrimination is overcome by justice and fairness.”