Community Leaders Unite to Support Student Civil Rights Act Coalition Formed to Clarify Misinformation and Celebrate Protection of All Students

Community leaders from the Chinese and Asian American communities united today at a press conference to speak out in support of Senate Bill 777, also known as the California Student Civil Rights Act.

SB 777 was passed in 2007 and signed by the Governor. It took effect on January 1, 2008 and is a "clean up" bill that clarifies existing protections against discrimination and harassment for certain groups of students. The bill created no new protections but simply standardized language across different California Education Code sections and specifically ensures that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students are equally protected along with other protected groups (e.g., race, religion). [More information on the bill follows this release.]

The ad hoc California Student Civil Rights Coalition, comprised of dozens of community organizations as well as many individuals, called the press conference in response to concerns that significant segments of the Asian American - particularly the Chinese American - community had received false and misleading information about how SB 777 will affect school policies and curricula. [See partial list of endorsers below.]

At the press conference, numerous speakers explained why they supported the bill and celebrated its implementation earlier this month.

According to State Board of Equalization Vice-Chair Judy Chu, a former state assemblymember who authored a historic number of hate crimes bills while chairing the Assembly Select Committee on Hate Crimes, "I support SB 777 because it helps protects students against discrimination and enables students and administrators to understand existing laws that keep all students safe. SB 777 addresses the civil rights of the disabled, ethnic and racial minorities, girls and young women and, yes, people with a different sexual orientation."

Assemblymember Mike Eng who chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Hate Crimes noted, "Crimes against persons based on their perceived or actual gender, sexual orientation, and disability are no less disturbing than violence against victims in other categories of hate crimes. The inclusion of all the protected categories in the education code ensures that all students are protected against senseless acts of hate and violence in schools."

Among the early supporters of the bill were the California Teachers Association and the California Parent Teacher Association (PTA). In addition, school board members have spoken out in support of the bill as well. " In today's schoolyard, there isn't another characteristic that engenders more bullying and harassment as sexual orientation, and that's why we need to protect students who are, or perceived as, gay or lesbian," said Jay Chen, Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District board member.

Henry Lo, President of the Garvey School District, declared: "We in education are in the business of the future. There is no place in that future for intolerance or divisiveness. We live in a multicultural society and we most respect each other if we are to move forward."

According to Karin Wang, Vice-President of Programs at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and a steering committee member of API Equality-LA, "As a civil rights group which has fought against hate crimes for nearly 25 years, APALC is deeply concerned that a law seeking to make existing anti-discrimination laws clearer and easier to understand has instead been misinterpreted in a way harmful to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students."

Added OCA (Organization of Chinese Americans)-Greater Los Angeles President, Stacey Toda, "OCA-GLA has a long history of successfully disseminating educational information to the Asian American community. OCA-GLA wants the Chinese and the Asian American community to know that SB777 helps ensure that all students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion in California public schools are protected."

A former student from San Gabriel Valley who experienced harassment by a high school teacher, Eric Nakano states, "Students face so many pressures and challenges as it is in school. This law will go a long way in ensuring that students regardless of their background, can learn in an environment that is safe and free from violence and harassment." [NOTE - Individual current high school students and former students who support SB 777 are available for telephone interviews in English and Chinese - call Karin Wang at (213) 999-5640.]

Among the 36 organizations that have endorsed the ad hoc California Student Civil Rights Coalition (to date) are:

Asian Pacific Islander-Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center
Asian Pacific Islander Law Students Association (UCLA School of Law)
Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council
Chinese Community Organizing Project of San Gabriel Valley
Chinatown Youth Movement towards Empowerment
Chinese Rainbow Association
Korean Resource Center
Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
National Korean American Service & Education Center
OCA-Greater Los Angeles (Organization of Chinese Americans)
San Fernando Valley Japanese American Citizen's League Chapter, Civil Rights Chair
South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT)
South Asian Law Students Association (UCLA School of Law)
South Asian Network
Southeast Asian Community Alliance (SEACA)

Media Advisory Contact
Vivien Hao, (323) 893-4743
Karin Wang, (213) 999-5640