First-Ever Asian and Pacific Islander Townhall on Marriage Equality
What:
We Do, Too: APIs & the Marriage Equality Debate is a panel and community townhall that brings together diverse Asian/Pacific Islander (API) community representatives to address the implications of the marriage equality debate on the API community. A reception immediately follows the program. This event is free and open to the public.
Where:
National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
111 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
When:
Thursday, May 17, 2007, 7 PM
Who:
Presenters include:
- Reverend Mark Nakagawa, senior minister of Centenary United Methodist Church in Little Tokyo;
- Actor James Sie, who has been raising a son with Doug Wood, his partner of 17 years;
- Attorney Karin Wang, Vice-President of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center;
- Award-winning author/activist Helen Zia, who in 2004 married her long-time partner in San Francisco;
- Welcome by George Takei,* Chair Emeritus of the Japanese American National Museum Board of Trustees; and
- Moderated by Ben de Guzman, political consultant and LGBT community leader.
Why:
In celebration of Asian/Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, the Japanese American National Museum and API community organizations are sponsoring a panel of experts to discuss the personal, religious, historical, political and legal implications of the current marriage equality debate, namely the struggle over whether same-sex couples should be permitted to legally marry. The event is co-sponsored by API Equality-LA, Asian American Queer Women Activists (AAQWA), Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT), Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, Asian Pacific Islander Parents & Families of Lesbians and Gays (API PFLAG), Asian Pacific Islander Pride Council, Gay Asian Pacific Support Network (GAPSN), Satrang, and UCLA Asian American Studies Center.
Media Advisory Contact
Sanjay Chhugani (Hindi): (626) 379-3649
Ben de Guzman (Tagalog): (202) 422-4909 cell
Katy Lim (Korean): (323) 493-0666 cell
Anita Le (Vietnamese): (213) 241-0289
Shawn Ta (Cantonese, Mandarin): (626) 329-9756 cell
Karin Wang: (213) 241-0234