News
2006-02-28
New California
PAC will advocate for gay Latinos
First-ever LGBT
Latino PAC launched to empower gay Latinos, elect
supportive politicians.
The
The first-ever
LGBT Latino political action committee in California was
launched on Friday with a goal of electing supportive
politicians and raising awareness of the specific
issues the minority within a minority faces.
According to the
group, Honor PAC, differences in religion, language, and
social acceptance have kept Latino gays and lesbians behind
their Caucasian counterparts in terms of services,
political representation, and community and political
empowerment.
“The fight
for civil rights in our communities cannot be won until our
voices are heard and fairly represented in public
office,” said Honor PAC president and cofounder
Luis Lopez.
California is
home to more LGBT Latinos than any other state, and Honor
PAC hopes to address their myriad and specific needs,
including immigration and cultural stigmatization.
The PAC's main
goal is electing LGBT Latinos—or politicians who have
shown commitment to their issues—to office. Other
objectives include expanded access to health care and
support for HIV/AIDS funding, antibullying legislation
for gay Latino youth, equal protection for transgender
men and women, expanded education access, pro-immigration
policies, and supporting marriage equality.
In 2000,
California voters passed Proposition 22, which banned
same-sex marriage. According to exit polls, 65% of
Latinos voted for Proposition 22, more than any other
group.
“To
overcome any future antigay propositions, we will need to be
visible, organized, and take a stand that
discrimination is not acceptable,” Lopez said.
“We will need gay and nongay Latinos to carry this
message.” (Advocate.com)
Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter.
Page 1 of 1