Effecting Change in the Fight for Equal Rights
JACL made history with its longtime support of same-sex marriage. Now California is the new battleground.
IRVINE, Calif.—For equal rights champion Ed Velasquez, the last few weeks have proven that agony does follow ecstasy.
The high point came Sept. 6 when the California Legislature became the nation’s first legislative body to approve a bill allowing same-sex marriages — “exhilarating” news immediately struck down by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s announcement 24 hours later that he would veto the bill.
Now is the time to effect change, said Velasquez who led a workshop at the JACL PSW/NCWNP/CC Tri-District conference Sept. 9-11.
The Legislature’s historic passage of Assembly Bill 849, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, authored by Assembly member Mark Leno would protect the rights of same-sex couples as well as rights of religious institutions, said Velasquez.
But the future of equal rights hangs precariously in the balance.
Also on the voting horizon are three ballot measures that could strip California same-sex couples of established partnership rights. The sponsors have until January to gather 598,105 signatures to put the amendments on next June’s ballot.
“These issues affect people’s everyday lives,” said Velasquez, who works for The Center Orange County, an advocacy group for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
Whether it’s a colleague or a gay person living at the end of the street with a kid, putting a face to the issue humanizes the struggle and through the Vote for Equality campaign, Velasquez hopes to raise awareness that same-sex marriage is a civil and human rights issue.
Same-sex couples in a committed relationship lack more than 1,000 federal rights and benefits that heterosexual couples take for granted. And just little things like traveling out of the United States or adopting a baby are almost intangible luxuries for gay couples.
“It’s something that people aren’t comfortable about — gay issues — and it’s partially cultural and it’s among all cultures to a degree,” said Velasquez, who started to fight for equal rights because he felt his community was being attacked. It’s a feeling that JACL National President Ken Inouye said Japanese Americans know well.
“Our community understands the pain of being in a situation where there’s nobody there to speak up for us,” said Inouye. During the 1994 Salt Lake City National Convention, JACL was among the first civil rights organizations to pass a resolution in support of same-sex marriage.
“I believe that our community has shown the compassion and the courage to stand up and say, ‘No. We cannot have it happen to anyone else,’” said Inouye.
At the same convention 11 years ago, John Saito of the East Los Angeles chapter, made a statement on the floor in support of the resolution reasoning that morality is based on an act of will, which human sexuality is not.
“I’m still waiting for someone to refute me or give me an answer or response to my position. I would be willing to listen, but I still believe that any moral issue has to be a willful act and I just don’t believe that being homosexual or being a straight person is an act of the will. This is the way you were born,” said Saito. “Apparently it’s a live issue even though there’s been a national position. Those of us who remember ‘92 need to remind them of the national position on this issue.”
Same-sex marriage still remains a contentious issue among JACLers, but Inouye emphasized that supporting this issue doesn’t necessarily mean supporting a lifestyle, it’s a civil rights issue.
“It’s about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the right for Americans to have the same choices, the right to have the same protection,” he said. “As Americans, I think it’s incumbent amongst all of us to make sure that no particular interest group can make the decision of who’s entitled to those protections.”
But AB 849 faces a governor’s veto because of Proposition 22. California voters agreed five years ago in a ballot initiative that marriage should be only between a man and a woman.
Although Proposition 22 passed with 61 percent of the vote five years ago, a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found that voters are evenly divided on whether gays should be allowed to marry.
Thirteen states already have constitutional bans on gay marriage. Others are expected to be on ballots next year including Alabama, Indiana, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Virginia, South Dakota and Tennessee. Voters in Texas will decide on an amendment outlawing gay marriage this year.
For Velasquez, conducting a workshop at the tri-district on this issue was timely and important because of “the history of JACL as a groundbreaking civil rights group.”
“We can effect change by educating people about people’s commitment to each other,” said Inouye. “It’s about the dignity of having a lifestyle that’s comfortable and reflects who you are as a person.”
Print This Article-
Email This Article