SEATTLE —
A new national study challenges the widely held perception that Latinos are persistently anti-gay.
Released Thursday by the research group Social Science Research Solutions and the Hispanic advocacy organization National Council of La Raza, it found Latino support for many pro-gay policies at least on par with that of the population as a whole.
Latinos in the SSRS study, for example, support same-sex marriage at a rate of 54 percent, compared with 53 percent of those in the general population who indicated such support in a Gallup poll last year.
And by even wider margins, respondents in the SSRS study favor policies aimed at protecting gays against hate crimes and discrimination related to jobs, housing and military service.
The findings come as a referendum seeking to place Washington’s same-sex marriage law on the November ballot has begun circulating across the state, and appearing in churches — including Catholic parishes, where many Latinos worship. Referendum backers, including the National Organization for Marriage, are hoping voters ultimately reject the new law.
With a population exceeding 50 million, Latinos represent the fastest-growing group in the U.S., one with a strong family-oriented culture and firm religious beliefs. And where they stand as a group on issues like same-sex marriage is gaining increased national attention. Last month, for example, publicly released internal documents from the National Organization of Marriage revealed that group’s strategy of trying to make opposition to same-sex marriage “a key badge of Latino identity.”
Thursday’s SSRS report, titled LGBT Acceptance and Support: The Hispanic Perspective, was funded by the Arcus Foundation, an organization focused on environmental and social justice issues, including equality for gays.
“There is a clear misperception among the general population about where Latinos stand” on LGBT issues, said David Dutwin, vice president of SSRS and author of the report.
“In reality, as society is evolving on LGBT issues and becoming more accepting of this community, so too are Hispanics.”
To be sure, there is opposition among Latinos against all facets of gay equality — just as there is in the population as a whole.
Some Latino groups, for example, rallied in New York last year against that state’s same-sex marriage bill. And exit polls showed more than half of Latino voters in California backed Proposition 8, the ballot measure that repealed that state’s same-sex marriage law.
The study found that foreign-born Latinos are more traditional and therefore tend to be less supportive of gay equality than those who were born in the U.S. or consider themselves “Americanized.”
Latino men, Latino Republicans and Latinos who don’t know or associate with anyone who is gay are also more likely to oppose gay rights.
And then there’s the question of religion.
Three out of five Hispanics in the U.S. identify as Catholic. And while polls put support for same sex marriage among lay Catholics at around 56 percent, church teachings and most church leaders oppose same-sex marriage.
Among Catholic Latinos in the SSRS survey, 57 percent say they support same-sex marriage, while support among other Christians was around 43 percent.
“The Protestant/Catholic divide is huge,” Dutwin said.
A partner with Washington United for Marriage, the coalition seeking to retain the state’s same-sex marriage law, Seattle-based Entre Hermanos is working to take the message of LGBT equality to the Spanish-speaking population in the state, its executive director Marcos Martinez said.
It is important, Martinez said, to frame the conversation of gay rights around family because that is such an important part of Latino life.
National News
Latinos support many pro-gay policies, study finds
- National News
-
-
Court: Arizona citizenship proof law illegal
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states cannot on their own require would-be voters to prove they are U.S. citizens before using a federal registration system designed to make signing up easier.
-
Hitchhiking cat ’Mata Hairi’ headed home to Oregon
A well-traveled cat named “Mata Hairi” will soon be reunited with her owner after spending nearly 10 months traveling thousands of miles with a hitchhiker who rescued her from the rain.
-
For young immigrants, a delayed coming of age
As a child, Jorge Tume used to sit and do homework as his parents cleaned the desks and floors of a concrete company in Miami. When he was done, he’d take out the trash and help finish cleaning.
-
Fracking fuels water fights in nation’s dry spots
The latest domestic energy boom is sweeping through some of the nation’s driest pockets, drawing millions of gallons of water to unlock oil and gas reserves from beneath the Earth’s surface.
-
Ten more homes destroyed in Colorado wildfire
Firefighters were finally gaining some ground Friday on a wildfire in which two people were killed as they tried to escape and 389 homes were destroyed.
-
House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
The House overwhelmingly passed a sweeping, $638 billion defense bill on Friday that imposes new punishments on members of the armed services found guilty of rape or sexual assault as outrage over the crisis in the military has galvanized Congress.
-
1 dead, dozens hurt in Louisiana plant explosion
An ground-rattling explosion at a chemical plant in Louisiana ignited a blaze Thursday that killed at least one person and left dozens more hurt, officials said.
-
Court sides with Oklahoma in Red River dispute
The Supreme Court on Thursday decisively sided with Oklahoma and rejected Texas’ claim that it has a right under a 30-year-old agreement to cross their common border for water to serve the fast-growing Fort Worth area.
-
Court says human genes cannot be patented
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries.
-
Thousands flee Colorado wildfire; 92 homes destroyed
Jaenette Coyne estimates she had five minutes to leave home after calling 911 to report forest fire smoke behind her home.
- More National News Headlines
-
Obama: NSA Secret Data Gathering 'Transparent'
Man Who Disrupted Flight Ranted About CIA
Feds: 7-Eleven Stores Exploited Immigrants
Fla. Teen Catches Ride With Whale Shark
G8 Leaders Huddle on Syria
Raw: Obama, Putin Meet at G8
Iran's Rowhani Urges 'Path of Moderation'
Daughter: Mandela Doing 'Very Well'
Investigators Probe Origin of Colo. Wildfire
Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail
'Game of Thrones' Boosts N. Ireland
Raw: Prince Philip Leaves Hospital After Surgery
Zimmerman Jury Selection Turns to Media Exposure
Raw: FBI Meets Plane After Poison Threat
Family Tweets Say Kim Kardashian Gives Birth
US, EU Leaders Announce Free Trade Talks
