By Karin Wang, Vice-President, Programs & Communications, Asian Pacific American Legal Center

 APABA, JABA, KABA, PABA, SABA & SCCLA invite you to

Join The

"STICK" Up for Goodwin!

Movement

By Harold and Ellen Kameya

Twenty-two years ago, our then 20-year old daughter Valerie told us she was gay. As Sansei from Hawaii, raised in a socially conservative Japanese American culture, Valerie’s announcement devastated us. At that time, we were woefully ignorant on issues of sexual orientation, including that being gay is not a choice. As part of that ignorance, we were saddened that we would never see our daughter get married or have a family.

On November 4th, 2008, Proposition 8 passed in California, eliminating the right to marry for same-sex couples.  One year later, the rights of the LGBT community are again up for a popular vote, in Maine, Washington and Michigan. 

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As a straight ally in the fight for marriage equality, I am often asked why I work on the issue of marriage equality.

The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) and Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) applaud President Obama for signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. The new law expands the federal definition of a hate crime – which currently covers attacks motivated by race, color, religion or national origin – to include gender, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Under the nation’s first African American President and U.S. Attorney General, a much welcomed reinvigoration of our federal government’s commitment to civil rights is underway.  As a civil rights advocate, I applaud the DOJ’s refocusing on civil rights and urge that the DOJ’s Civil Rights division, which was established in 1957 during the era of massive civil rights changes, reprioritize its original mission of fighting racial discrimination.