The mission of the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition is to empower Black same-gender loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and families in Greater Los Angeles, to promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone without regard to race, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

African American Partners Statement on Prop 8

As African Americans, we celebrate the historic significance of the 2008 election. As a community, we are opposed to discrimination against all people--including our gay brothers and sisters. Consequently, we are deeply disappointed by the passage of California's Proposition 8. We are committed to continuing the dialogue within our communities about the very real discrimination at the heart of Proposition 8. Marriage matters to all of us, and we must all stay vigilant until equality is achieved for everyone in California.

Signed by:

· And Marriage for All, San Francisco

·African American Ministers in Action, People for the American Way, Washington, DC

· California State NAACP, Sacramento

· Jordan/Rustin Coalition, Los Angeles

· National Association for Black Justice (NBJC), Washington, D.C.