The National Council of La Raza and Social Science Research Solutions have released a new report, LGBT Acceptance and Support: The Hispanic Perspective. In the project, the researchers set out to determine whether U.S. Latinos and Latinas hold attitudes toward LGBT people that are significantly different from the general population.
Latino/as and other people of color are often scapegoated when pro-LGBT ballot measures fail and are sometimes accused of being more homophobic, biphobic and transphobic than their white peers.
The study, however, found what many of us as queer Latino/as have experienced in our families and in our communities: “Contrary to ‘popular’ belief, Hispanics are as open and tolerant, if not more tolerant, than the general population.”
The report also found that one of the main stumbling blocks for acceptance was whether individual Latino/as were people of faith. It found that Latino/as of various faiths were less likely to support relationship recognition and more likely to believe that being LGBT is a sin.
Working with and within communities of faith is vital to advancing equality and social justice. Some of our strongest allies are people of faith and, indeed, many LGBT people consider themselves people of faith. That’s why our Institute for Welcoming Resources (IWR) continues to organize one-on-one conversations
By Jack Harrison, Task Force policy analyst