By Kathleen La Torre, NCLR Communications Department Intern
The Latino perspective is often referenced in political discourse, but our community is not a monolith, and we differ on many social issues. While there may be some truth to the stereotype that all Latinos are Catholic and socially conservative, the diversity of the Latino community constantly evolves with each new generation.
I attended a discussion at the Center for American Progress to further engage on the topic of how the Latino community views reproductive rights and GLBT concerns. The panel featured:
Bishop Minerva Carcaño, Bishop, Desert Southwestern Conference of the United Methodist Church
Robert P. Jones, CEO and Founder, Public Religion Research Institute
Silvia Henriquez, Principal, Conway Strategic
Joseph Palacios, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University, and Director, Catholics for Equality Foundation.
One of the more striking statistics presented—and there were several—was this: in 2050, Whites will no longer be in the majority in the United States. This figure indicates that addressing the growing presence of Latinos in the United States is crucial to the advancement of this country.
Here’s another interesting statistic: eight in ten first generation Latinos classify themselves as Catholic, whereas only five in ten of the second and third generations identify as Catholic. These numbers indicate that recent immigrants maintain stronger ties to Catholicism, and the strength of the bond decreases as the younger members become more assimilated into American culture and are further removed from the family abroad.
I appreciated Bishop Carcaño’s observation that the survey inaccurately characterized the views of Protestants by lumping all non-Catholics together as Protestants, even though Baptist views may not be similar to other Christian based-faiths. Bishop Carcaño suggested unpacking the statistics to better understand the views of several different Latino religious and faith backgrounds.
I left the session thinking that while Latinos generally mirror the general U.S. population’s position on GLBT issues—and are even somewhat more supportive—a greater number of Latinos hold that abortion should be illegal. However, I also noted that Latinos take a contextual approach to issues, meaning that they believe that the individual situation tips the balance as to whether something is right or wrong, whereas Whites tend toward a more absolutist position that some things are just always wrong.
The presence of an out gay Catholic priest on the panel was thoroughly refreshing. Joseph Palacios talked about being gay, but also about honoring his priestly vows of celibacy. “Being gay doesn’t mean you are a sexual libertine. You can be gay and celibate,” he jokingly said. He brought a different perspective to the panel, with his liberal views on GLBT issues and staunch advocacy against abortion.
The presenters’ closing remarks were inspiring and timely as we prepare for the 2012 general election. They concluded by reminding us as advocates that we need to move away from the hierarchy of issues and, instead, focus on the intersections of justice to create space for conversation among different religious leaders, political activists, and many others. Latino issues are also gay issues, immigration issues, women’s issues, and everything else across the board. Integration is the key to solving them.