I just want to briefly touch on the same subject that two of our bloggers have already brought to light, but add a Hispanic perspective. There is no doubt that the legalization of gay marriage in California, followed by the passing of Prop. 8 is extremely confusing and sends a heartbreaking message.
I wanted to see how Hispanic media is reporting on the issue: Hispanic, mainstream media, mainly. After digging through three pages of Univision’s Web site, I found a short article followed by 31 pages of reader comments.
Then I decided to visit La Opinion’s Web site, an LA-based publication and the largest Spanish-language daily in the states. The topic was front and center as part of a rotating flash piece on their homepage. La Opinion’s article mentioned something that was a huge reality check: the majority of the Hispanic vote in California supported Prop. 8. Hispanics were the LARGEST minority group to vote for the proposition. With 73% of Anglos, 57% of Asians and 41% of African Americans voting against the proposition, the Hispanic vote in favor of Proposition 8 was apparently still heavy enough to help cast the decision the other way.
Clearly, we have work to do in the Hispanic community. Ignoring minority groups can cost us, as it did in California. The families that I know, including mine, who cannot put apart their beliefs (such as religion) and the comments I read on the Univision page are a testament to the work that is desperately needed in the Latino community.
Fernando Espuelas, Latino media personality in Los Angeles, wrote a piece on CNN which sheds more light on the position of the U.S. Hispanic community, specific to this issue. He said it was a mistake for Latino voters to support Proposition 8's gay marriage ban. And I could not agree more.
This is why I cannot stress enough how important it is that we, as a gay and lesbian community, are gaining celebrity support. For this kind of change to actually impact the core of an entire culture (including religion), you need big, recognizable individuals whose supportive statements are nothing short of loud.
This is the reason why I thank, more than ever, the hard work and support from celebrities I have blogged about, from RBD’s Christian, to Lucia Mendez, Gael Garcia Bernal, and the others I have not included. They make part of that big step towards slow progress in a stubborn, proud and vibrant culture.
Image courtesy of Karaface
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