Communities of Color Endorse R-71

Thirty-one Washington-based organizations representing communities of color have endorsed Referendum-71, which if approved in November would keep the state's expanded domestic-partnership law intact.

Washington Families Standing Together announced the endorsements on Thursday.

"There isn't just one type of family in our communities. We are a diverse community, with diverse families. They all deserve legal protections and to be treated fairly under the law, especially during these times of economic uncertainty," said Estela Ortega, executive director of El Centro de la Raza.

James Kelly, president of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, added, "This new law also protects elders in our community who are in monogamous opposite-sex relationships but choose not to marry. Our elders are the rock of our community. We must do all that we can to protect them."

The groups in favor of preserving the expanded domestic-partnership law are as follows:

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
El Centro de la Raza
Asian and Pacific Islanders Coalition of King County
Northwest Indian Bar Association
Minority Executive Directors Coalition of King County
Seattle-King County NAACP
Middle Eastern Legal Association of Washington
Entre Hermanos
Organization of Chinese Americans of Greater Seattle
Latino Political Action Committee of Washington
Japanese American Citizens League
Community 2 Community Development
Loren Miller Bar Association
Filipino Lawyers of Washington
Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
Asian Pacific Directions Coalition
Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center
Vietnamese Bar Association of Washington
Sea Mar Community Health Clinics
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
Raising Our Asian Pacific American Representation
OneAmerica
South Asian Bar Association of Washington
Korean American Bar Association of Washington
Latina/o Bar Association of Washington
Pinay sa Seattle
Sahngnoksoo
New Americans Action Fund
CASA Latina
Asian Pacific Islanders Coalition of Pierce County