Join us! We will discuss our work to engage API Christian and Buddhist congregations and to collaborate with the statewide coalition, California Faith for Equality. A light dinner will be provided, so PLEASE RSVP!

When: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Where: Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) | 3200 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA | [Map]

Questions/Comments: Alex H. Fukui & Ezra Evangelista | contact@apiequalityla.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The failure of two key pieces of legislation in the Senate yesterday has delayed but not halted two surging movements that affect API Equality-LA’s members. One is the effort to pass The DREAM Act, which would have offered a pathway to citizenship for undocumented students, and the other is the campaign to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which would allow gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military.

The Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Director of API Equality-LA says, “The failure of the Senate to pass The DREAM Act and to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ sends a message to immigrants and the LGBT community – and particularly LGBT immigrants – that they are not welcome in the land of the free and home of the brave. Today, Lady Liberty’s torch becomes dimmer as rights and dignities are denied once more to key members of this country. This temporary setback will not hinder our resolve to continue to change hearts and minds until all LGBT people are treated fairly.”

At a boisterous event in support of the DREAM Act on Sunday, September 19, 2010, attended by more than 100 people, formerly undocumented Filipino-American law school student Angelo Mathay spoke of the pressure in the Asian community to be “in the closet” about being gay and being undocumented, for fear of shaming one’s family. “Filipinos need to change our ‘tago ng tago’ (hide and hide) status by coming out of the shadows if we want to change this unjust immigration policy. Gays and lesbians also need to come out of the closet to change the Filipino immigrant community’s perceptions of who we are. There is no shame in being queer and undocumented. The only thing that is shameful is our government’s policy of deferring our American DREAM, preventing us from being successful contributors to society.”

Likewise, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian Pacific Islander servicemembers are affected every day by the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Thousands have already been unfairly discharged because of this policy, and many others refuse to extend their service time due to the risk of “being outed.” Ryan Khamkongsay, a member of API Equality–LA and an eight-year veteran who enlisted in the Army immediately after high school, recalls the discrimination he faced while serving his country, “In order for me to ‘fit in,’ I had to suppress my feelings for other members of the same-sex and pretend to be someone I wasn’t. I also had to constantly further prove my honor and commitment to the military because of the underrepresentation of Asian Americans serving. If my primary duty was to serve my nation and fellow Americans, does it matter what my sexual orientation or ethnicity is? ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ is an antiquated policy that the majority of Americans do not support any longer. Even former President Bill Clinton and former Defense Secretary Collin Powell support the repeal of the failed policy they originally created. It’s time for all servicemembers to be out and proud about who they are.”

The Philippine-American Exposition is one of the longest-running and most successful exposition in the Filipino American community! It typically draws more than 20,000 attendees, so API Equality-LA definitely needs your help to win support for marriage equality!

When: Sunday, September 19, 2010

Where: Los Angeles Convention Center | [Map]

Available Shifts:
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
4:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Questions/Comments: contact@apiequalityla.org | (213) 290-5535