Joe asks Harry Reid about DADT and ENDA

Joe Sudbay got a chance to ask Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and ENDA at the Netroots Nation conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 24, 2010. Nothing earth-shattering in his response - just wanted to let folks know we're still pushing our congressional leaders.

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In California, Latino Catholics supportive of same-sex marriage

Really interesting info. in a recent poll on same-sex marriage, which was released this week. Latino Catholics are actually very supportive of marriage. That certainly runs counter to conventional wisdom. But, family matters:

Have Latino Catholics become the most progressive political group supporting gay rights in the U.S.? The casual observer of culture often perceives that Latino Catholics are one of the most conservative groups regarding family values and faith. Yet the Public Religion Research Institute's July 21, 2010, report on "Religion and Same-Sex Marriage in California" found that Latino Catholics stand in sharp in contrast to many sectors of American public, especially Latino Protestants, illustrating the sharp effect of religion on Latino attitudes towards homosexuality and civil and human rights for the gay community. Regarding Latino Catholics the report, based on June 2010 polling of 3,351 California adults with oversamples for Latinos, highlights these two social dynamics:

• 57% of Latino Catholics would vote for the legalization of same-sex marriage compared to 22% of Latino Protestants

• Latino Catholics "say they trust the parents of gay and lesbian children more than their own clergy as a source of information about homosexuality."

These two dynamics illustrate the new face of Latino Catholicism in California. According to the Pew Forum an estimated 31% of California's population is Catholic. And of that between 40-50% is Latino. This Latino trend helps pull Catholic social attitudes, already more liberal than Protestants, towards greater support of gay rights.

The author of this Post column, Joseph M. Palacios, examines why.

Here are some "highlights" from the Public Religion Research Institute:

There are major religious groups on both sides of the debate over same-sex marriage in California. Solid majorities of Latino Catholics and white mainline Protestants say they would vote to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, while solid majorities of white evangelical Protestants, Latino Protestants, and African American Protestants say they would vote to keep same-sex marriage illegal.

An overwhelming majority of Californians, and majorities of all major religious groups except Latino Protestants, say they both favor laws that would protect gay and lesbian people from job discrimination and favor allowing gay and lesbian people to serve openly in the military (75% and 69% respectively). A majority (56%) of Californians favor adoption rights for same-sex couples.

There is a striking Catholic-Protestant divide within the California Latino community on public policy issues related to gay and lesbian rights. A majority of Latino Catholics (57%) say they would vote to allow gay and lesbian couple to marry, compared to just 22% of Latino Protestants. The Catholic-Protestant divide in the Latino community is evident across a wide range of public policy issues related to gay and lesbian rights.

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Liberal voters 'disillusioned over...slow movement on gay rights'

As I write this, the Netroots Nation session with Speaker Pelosi is getting underway. I've posted the livestream at AMERICAblog. One constant subject of discussion at the conference is the looming elections and the disillusionment of the Democratic base. Here's one take from Netroots Nation and why Democrats aren't motivated:

Liberals who helped put Obama in the White House in 2008 are disillusioned over the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, slow movement on gay rights and the failure to create a government-run insurance option in the health care overhaul.

I think there are a few more issues that are problematic. But, the gay issues are a major factor.

Senate and House votes on ENDA would help.

UDPATE @9:32 AM (Pacific Time): First question to Pelosi in the Q&A; was on ENDA. I tweeted it here. Moderator Cheryl Contee wanted to know if we were going to see passage of ENDA any time soon. Basically, Pelosi said she wants a vote, talked about how ENDA was a priority, but I didn't hear a firm commitment for a vote. Read More...

PBS on why there's a lack of enthusiasm among the Democratic base

Great piece by Judy Woodruff. Kerry Eleveld gives the money quote, literally:

JUDY WOODRUFF: "The Advocate"'s Eleveld points out there could also be a financial impact for Democrats.

KERRY ELEVELD: There is a fair amount of money that flows from the LGBT community to the Democratic National Committee, to the president, to Democrats in general. And I think what you're really wondering is, what's going to happen to that flow of money? Are people going to start saying, why are we giving to Democrats? Why are we giving to the Democratic National Committee? Why are we giving to the president? Maybe we should just be picking individual candidates.

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