WOAA Resolution on the proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage
WHEREAS, the Wisconsin Legislature in two consecutive sessions has passed the following State Constitutional Amendment and presented it for ratification by the public in the General election on November 7, 2006:
"Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state."; and

WHEREAS, members of the Wisconsin Organization for Asian Americans value, endorse, and strongly advocate equal treatment under the law for all persons to enable pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness; / and WHEREAS, marriage is already legally defined in Wisconsin;
and WHEREAS, the proposed amendment seeks to declare invalid and deny recognition of any "legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals" and

WHEREAS, the proposed amendment will eliminate currently-existing legal protection for persons in locally sanctioned domestic partnerships; and

WHEREAS, the proposed amendment runs contrary to the Asian Americans' values of respect, dignity, freedom and fairness for families, friends, neighbors and co-workers who are or may be different; and

WHEREAS, passage of the proposed amendment targets one group of persons for the elimination of rights, benefits, responsibilities, and privileges afforded under current state and federal laws such as ability to share health, retirement, and other monetary benefits and illness and bereavement leave;  and

WHEREAS, children of gay and lesbian parents are especially vulnerable in that a parent will be denied parental rights despite long-term devotion and care and social, emotional, spiritual, financial, and nurturing support; and

WHEREAS, gay and lesbian partners will be denied recognition of rights through years of commitment to each other in stable relationships, rights granted currently to legally-married persons such as legal and social decisions related to hospital visiting, school-parent rights and responsibilities, community property assignment if one partner should die or the partnership is dissolved, guardianship rights relating to children, and considerations relating to adoption of children; and

WHEREAS, elderly persons living together without marriage because of financial and social reasons will suffer the same deprivation of rights as will gay and lesbians and also with respect to visitation and other rights with respect to their respective children, grandchildren and others;

NOW, THEREFORE: the Wisconsin Organization for Asian Americans opposes the proposed amendment in the spirit of advocacy for social justice within a history of discrimination and calls upon all Wisconsin citizens to join efforts to vote "NO" and defeat the amendment on November 7, 2006.