A recent statewide public opinion survey has revealed that Latino Catholics may be one of the most progressive groups in support of gay rights in the US. The same survey, which was conducted by The Public Religion Research Institute\u00a0 also highlights a striking divide between Catholic and Protestant Latinos on gay issues.<\/p>\n
According to a press release by the PRRI, the statistics on Latinos come from a bilingual (Spanish and English) poll of 3,351 adults in California, including oversamples of 350 African Americans and 200 Latino Protestants. It represents the most comprehensive portrait of religion and attitudes on same sex marriage and other gay and lesbian issues since Proposition 8 was approved. The survey was conducted among a random sample of Californians by telephone between June 14 and June 30, 2010.<\/p>\n
Joseph M. Palacios, an Adjunct Professor of Sociology at the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University, has considered some reasons for these findings.\u00a0 In an opinion piece he submitted to The Washington Post, Palacios claims that among Latino Catholics “Family solidarity is strong and even though children may not follow ‘traditional family values’ as projected by the church and the U.S. society, parents want to keep their children within the family.\u00a0 It is not surprising that Catholics in general and Latino Catholics in particular, as the PRRI study shows, see that parents learn about gay issues from their children.”<\/p>\n
Jose Lizarraga and Arturo Cortez are Latino Bay Area residents who were legally married on November 4th, 2008 (the same day that Proposition Eight was passed).\u00a0\u00a0 Lizarraga was raised in a Catholic household.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He says that the PRRI findings\u00a0stating that Catholics\u00a0may be more prone to accepting gays “was initially surprising, based on my personal experience with a church with has been systematically homophobic. From an anecdotal point of view, however, I can certainly attest to the importance Mexicans give to maintaining a family unit and how that supersedes anything.”<\/p>\n
Lizarraga adds, \u201cAs the eldest child of devout Catholic Mexican immigrants, my homosexuality has always been a contentious subject in our family. Twelve years after coming out, my parents still have a hard time fully understanding my lifestyle. However, undoubtedly by virtue of their unconditional love for me as their child, and the fact that I am in a happily committed relationship that is based on shared values of respect and trust, my parents have become increasingly accepting of who I am and who I have chosen to love.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PRRI study indicates that Catholics in general lean toward a faith that prioritizes justice and action. On the other hand, many Protestants focus on a personal morality and faith and a literal interpretation of the Bible. According to the study, when people believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God, they are more likely to reject gay rights. Palacios writes that Catholicism allows for complexity and ambiguity, and individuals make moral decisions not just on the Bible, but on the Church\u2019s teachings, their own conscience and social realities.<\/p>\n
The PRRI data reveals that peoples\u2019 views on homosexuality may also be a strongly influenced by the messages of clergy. When Californians in this study heard negative messages about gays by clergy, they were less inclined to support same sex-marriage.\u00a0 If their clergy spoke positively of gays, the majority of those surveyed expressed that gays should be allowed to marry. Only 42% of Latino Catholics reported hearing about homosexuality in church, as opposed to 62% of Latino Protestants. When Latino Protestants (along with Evangelical and black Protestants) heard about gays in church, the messages were primarily negative.<\/p>\n
As far as trusting the source of information regarding homosexuality, 42% of Latino Protestants said that they trusted their clergy a lot. Only 25% of Latino Catholics expressed the same trust in their clergy. 30% of Latino Catholics trusted the parents of gays and lesbian children or gay and lesbian couples when it came to learning about homosexuality.<\/p>\n
Palacios suggests that often Catholic countries have a dual nature. They are conservative in terms of family communalism and the traditions of the Catholic Church. At the same time, many of these Catholics have learned from history that they do not want the church \u201cmeddling in politics.\u201d This was potentially illustrated with the acceptance of same-sex marriage and adoption rights in Argentina, Spain, Portugal and Mexico City. Palacios contends that a sizable majority of US Latino Catholics share these attitudes.<\/p>\n
According to the Pew Forum, about 21% of the US Population is Catholic, however nearly half of all immigrants to US are Catholic.\u00a0 Of these Catholic immigrants, 82% come from Latin America and most come from Mexico.\u00a0 If the PRRI study is accurate, as this population grows both in California and the US, Latino Catholics may have an unexpected positive influence on same-sex marriage and other LGBT legal rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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