Promote Support for Marriage Equality in California’s API Communities! It’s the “Year of the Dog” in 2006, and the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) – in coalition with several API and LGBT organizations in the Bay Area – will be organizing yet another marriage equality contingent and float at the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade! Community volunteers are needed to help organize the contingent and construct the float. To learn more about how to get involved, contact Robert Bernardo. Attend API Equality-LA Launch at Press Conference with Actor George Takei, Others WHO: Reverend Lisa Gay Santiago and Pastor Nestor Gerente, Community leaders actor George Takei and California State Assemblymember Judy Chu, and representatives from community organizations such as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and API Equality-LA. WHERE: Asian Pacific American Legal Center 1145 Wilshire Boulevard, 2^nd Floor Los Angeles, CA, 90017. WHEN: 10:00 AM - Thursday, November 17, 2005 WHAT: In response to attacks on domestic partnership and restrictions on same-sex marriage, API Equality-LA, a new coalition of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) individuals and organizations, has formed to advance marriage equality rights. API Equality-LA includes both Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) organizations as well as groups that serve the API community more broadly, including civil rights, advocacy and social service agencies. The press conference will announce the formation of the coalition, describe upcoming plans and activities, and show how key community leaders such as Assemblymember Judy Chu and actor and community activist George Takei are publicly speaking out in favor of equal rights for all members of the API community. API Equality - LA’s growing list of endorsers include (partial list): ACLU of Southern California ~ Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance ~ Asian Pacific American Legal Center ~ Asian Pacific Islander Pride Council ~ Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council ~ Soka Gakkai International ~ John Chiang, Chair, California Board of Equalization ~ Judy Chu, California Assemblymember ~ Warren Furutani, L.A. Community College District Trustee ~ Reverend Hidemi Ito, United Methodist Church ~ Angela Oh, Civil Rights Attorney ~ Reverend Mitchio Oyakawa, Pastor Emeritus, Plymouth Montebello Congregational Church ~ South Asian Network ~ Satrang ~ George Takei & Brad Altman ~ Reverend John Vargas, Hollywood Independent Church ~ Participate in a Town Hall Discussion on APIs and Marriage Equality in Maryland How Do You Say 'I Do' in Punjabi? A town hall on marriage equality and the Asian Pacific American communities WHAT: Town hall on marriage equality to inform and involve the Asian Pacific American (APA) communities and their allies in light of the recent ACLU marriage equality lawsuit, Deane and Polyak v. Conaway, challenging Maryland's refusal to issue marriage licenses to lesbian and gay couples. WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 2005 at 7:30 pm WHERE: University of Maryland at College Park, Adele H. Stamp Student Union Building, Prince George's Room WHY: According to the 2000 census, the DC metropolitan area has one of the highest populations of Asian Pacific Americans in the country, ranking fifth after traditionally larger communities in California and New York.  A significant number of that population self-identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). As more and more same-sex couples seek legal recognition of their relationships, the right to marry is an issue faced by LGBT APAs. As APA communities across the nation begin to address issues of diversity within their own communities  and, subsequently, of issues of civil rights, conversations about marriage equality are becoming increasingly essential.  WHO: Welcome: Phil Nash (Professor at the University of Maryland at College Park, CEO of CampaignAdvantage.com) Moderator: Ben de Guzman (AQUA Advisory Committee Member) Panel: Gita Deane (Chief plaintiff in Deane and Polyak v. Conaway), Dan Furmansky (Executive Director of Equality Maryland), Jon Melegrito (National Federation of Filipino American Associations), Adam "Gus" Collins (Student and President of the Pride Alliance at the University of Maryland at College Park) · Organizers: Equality Maryland, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum-DC chapter, Asian/Pacific Islander Queers United for Action, Asian Pacific Islander Queer Sisters, KhushDC, the Pride Alliance at the University of Maryland-College Park, the Asian American Student Union at the University of Maryland-College Park , Asian Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project, and allies in the DC metro area. For more information, please visit: Equality Maryland: http://www.equalitymaryland.org/ ACLU of Maryland: http://www.aclu-md.org/ API LGBT Religion and Justice Gathering to Be Held on 9/20 in Berkeley! Rev. Deborah Lee of the PANA Institute writes that she has been excited to work with people “at recent events seeking justice and dignity for API LGBTs in our religious communities. I am sensing with the recent events that there is an opening and a great opportunity for us to speak, educate and organize among API religious folks.”  “All of us are impacting different segments of the community and it seems like the right time for us to organize ourselves on next steps to can make a difference collectively. We are inviting you to help us form a network (tentatively called API-LGBT-NRJ: Network on Religion and Justice for Asian and Pacific Islander Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgender People).” “So far folks from GRACE, API Family Pride, PanAsian Progressive Ministry, AsianEquality, PANA, CLGS, and other pastors and individuals have expressed interest. Please invite others whom you think might want to join us.” “Our first meeting will be: Tuesday September 20^th at 10 am at PANA (2357 Le Conte Ave. Berkeley CA 94709). CLGS has offered to begin our meeting with a short training and discussion in view of the positive recent vote in the CA legislature, called ‘Theological Tools for Talking about Same Sex Marriage.’” Agenda: CLGS training: Theological Tools for Talking About Same Sex Marriage. Debriefing and reflecting on recent events:  (e.g. API Family Pride Day, Banyan Project, others) Brainstorm future collective work on the religious API community:  e.g. education, visibility, advocacy, public speaking, media work, organizing and action. Next steps action plan Please RSVP Deborah and let her know if you can come, or if you can’t come but still want to be part of the network. You can reach her at (510) 849-8260 or dlee@psr.edu. For more information on the PANA Institute for Leadership Development and Study of Pacific Asian North American Religion, check out www.pana.psr.edu. Support API Families by Participating in Equality California’s “12 Days of Equality” Help support API families by taking action for twelve days in support of marriage equality. EQCA’s “Twelve Days of Equality” will highlight the importance of marriage protections through a series of daily grassroots and media actions to educate local communities about LGBT families. One action each day will generate a million actions before California’s landmark marriage equality bill reaches Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk. Participate in the “Just Say Know” Campaign to Educate the Public Equality California, Asian Equality, and other community groups are participating in a “Just Say Know” campaign to educate the public about the impact of proposed ballot measures to deny domestic partnership rights to thousands of couples in California. Get involved in the campaign by learning more about the issues at www.eqca.org and www.equalityforallca.org, and by passing out English or Chinese pamphlets at events in your neighborhood. For English-language flyers, click here. For Chinese-language flyers, click here. Help Organize an API Marriage Equality Townhall in DC – First Meeting on 9/14! Rebecca Sawyer in DC recently writes that “especially in light of the dismal expectation that the California bill legalizing same-sex marriage will be vetoed, it is important, now more than ever, to get involved in the struggle for marriage equality. It is an opportune time for us to educate our community about marriage equality and why it's something we should even care about.” ”Equality Maryland has asked our assistance in the logistical planning of a marriage equality town hall meeting for the API community in the DC metropolitan area. We're hoping to hold the event sometime in the last week of October. Kenneth Choe, staff attorney at the ACLU, and Gita Deane, one of the chief plaintiffs in the Maryland litigation for marriage equality, Deane and Polyak v. Conaway, are on board to speak.”  “We are also hoping to include a few more individuals from the local community, covering a gamut of marriage-related issues for the API community, including immigration.  We'd also like to include voices from progressive, predominantly straight API organizations. NAPAWF-DC is already on board as a sponsor for the event.” ”What I need is your commitment to working on this project. I would like to convene a meeting of interested volunteers next Wednesday, September 14th at around 8pm. If this is a time that works for most folks, I would like to suggest holding the quick meeting at Sparky's or any one of the many coffee shops in the city.” ”What this planning committee would do is the following: 1) publicize, publicize, PUBLICIZE; 2) recruit other interested parties in sponsoring and/or speaking on the panel and 3) assist in securing a location, time and place that would work best for the town hall.” ”It's a simple commitment, one that I foresee as easil y being accomplished in a handful of actual meetings. Most of what's being asked can easily be taken care of by mass emails to your various listservs and contacts.” ”I do hope you'll consider participating in this project. It's an important time for the API community to step up for marriage equality. We start that conversation by educating them through this town hall meeting. Links to a ACLU press release as well as a Washington Post article on the Maryland litigation:” http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRights.cfm?ID=16091&c=101 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001706.html Mark Your Calendars: API & Allies Marriage Equality Meeting in Los Angeles! WHAT: API LGBT and Allies Marriage Equality Meeting WHEN: Tuesday, July 12^th -- 7:00 to 9:00PM WHERE: RM. 106, Ground FL L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center 1625 N. Schrader St. Los Angeles, CA 90028 QUESTIONS: Contact Tawal at (323) 860-7352 or tpanyacosit@laglc.org In the past year, we have witnessed some extraordinary, and some despicable, moments in the LGBT struggle for equality. From thousands of couples marrying in SF to thousands in the streets across the state protesting the later "invalidation" of these same marriages, our community has begun to mobilize in a manner many believed a thing of the past. In California, this fight for equality, this recognition of our relationships and ourselves, is of indescribable import and one, with which we, as Asian and Pacific Americans should be well acquainted. Because, this is a fight that is happening within the very confines of our own community: What does it mean to us when the leading plaintiffs of the California court case, dealing with the constitutionality of denying same-sex couples the right to marry, are Asian/Pacific-American? What does it mean to us when the most visible mobilized opposition to our right to marry comes from thousands of conservative Chinese Christians protesting in the streets in San Francisco and Alhambra? With the recent defeat of legislation seeking to legalize same-sex marriage in CA and the submittal of three different initiative constitutional amendments to our Attorney General likely to appear on our ballots in June of next year, we must be prepared. The week following July 4th, there will be a meeting for all those interested in rolling their sleeves up and getting their hands dirty on the issue of marriage equality in the API community. This is an open meeting. There is more than enough work for any and all. Please make it a priority to distribute this announcement widely and to show your support and commitment to ensuring full equality for all Californians. Take Action During the Upcoming Lunar New Year! The start of Lunar New Year is fast approaching (February 9, 2005) with festivities planned across the country. What a better time to promote marriage equality in your local API communities. For more information on activities in your area, click here. In California, where a ballot initiative to ban marriage for same-sex couples in the state constitution poses an ever-present danger (and where APIs represent 10% of the population), now is the time to get the message out for marriage equality! Float organizers in San Francisco will be distributing information about Jennifer & Jeanne and Stuart & John in red envelopes to parade spectators. Please feel free to download and print out the inserts in both Chinese and English: Chinese language inserts: Jennifer & Jeanne and Stuart & John English language inserts: Jennifer & Jeanne and Stuart & John March for Marriage Equality with Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA)! GAPA is excited to announce that they have been selected to participate in this year's San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade. This represents an unprecedented opportunity to promote the message of marriage equality to the greater API community. GAPA will need a team of volunteers to help build the float, march in the parade, and publicize the occasion. Float organizers are eagerly looking for 50 individuals to march with GAPA and help spread the message of marriage equality. The organization will provide red windbreakers with a printed message “Equal Love,” and will require that each participant wear black pants and black shoes. If you are interested in marching, please RSVP Lisa at lisa@marriageequalityca.org by February 9th, 2005. Handy with tools? Please help out with float construction (and decoration) on February 5 & 6 and February 12 & 13 at Pier 27 (located at Battery and Embarcadero). Time TBD. To volunteer or for more information, please e-mail Lisa at lisa@marriageequalityca.org. ”Today, the San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is the largest celebration of its kind in the world, attracting over three million spectators and television viewers throughout the U.S., Canada, and Asia...” (www.chineseparade.com) Join EQCA/MECA at the San Francisco Marriage Summit! Date: Sunday, January 23, 2005 Time: 9:30AM to 4:00PM Location: State Building, 455 Golden Gate, Basement Theater The San Francisco Marriage Summit is open to all San Franciscans interested in engaging in discussion and activism in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. The event will provide a critical opportunity for you to learn about the political, legislative, and judicial developments that are impacting marriage equality in California. Leaders from EQCA/MECA, GAPA, and Asian Equality will be on hand at an API panel to discuss how you can help build support for marriage equality in the API community. If you've been meaning to get involved in the marriage movement, this is perfect opportunity to do so! Please RSVP with Chris at chris@eqca.org or call (415) 581-0005 ext. 1#. Sponsoring organizations include: Equality California/Marriage Equality, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club,the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, SF Pride, LGADDA, Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA), and others. Join Asian Equality at Stanford’s 9^th Annual API Conference! Date: Saturday, January 22, 2005 Time: 9:00AM to 8:30PM Location: Stanford University History Corner, Building 200 Join Asian Equality at "Listen to the Silence," Stanford's 9^th annual API community issues conference. Sponsored by Stanford Asian American Student Association and the Stanford Asian American Activism Committee, “Listen to the Silence” seeks to educate and empower Asian American students to take direct action to improve their communities and work towards social justice. Asian Equality will be participating in a workshop entitled, “Same-Sex Marriage and the API Community.” The workshop will be an informal discussion about the state of the LGBT movement and its impact on different parts of Asian American community. Should Asian Americans support marriage, adoption and immigration rights for same-sex couples? We will address the role of religion in generating opposition to same-sex marriage from the Asian American Christian community. We will also discuss how same-sex marriage relates to the broader civil rights movement. How much does this issue overlap with the goals and history of the Asian American community with respect to family formation, hate violence, and antimiscegenation laws? For more information about the conference, click here. Take Action for Marriage Equality in California! On August 12, the California Supreme Court ruled Mayor Gavin Newsom did not have the authority to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and revoked the 4,000+ licenses issued to same-sex couples earlier this year. Join Marriage Equality California and Equality California and take action to demand marriage equality for same-sex couples in the Golden State! Here's what's next on the California marriage equality agenda: October 4: The Marriage Equality Express Caravan leaves Sacramento on a city-hopping tour to Washington D.C., where activists will rally against the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage during National Coming Out Day on October 11. December 6: California Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, reintroduces the Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act to the state Assembly. The act would prohibit the denial of same-sex marriage licenses. Upcoming: Get Engaged! Campaign. Marriage Equality California has undertaken a campaign securing signatures from organizations and residents across the state in support of the Marriage Declaration, a statement in support of same-sex marriage as a human right.  For a Chinese-language press release on the California Supreme Court decision, click here.