Ramos controversy: Do all Democrats support gay rights?
Commentary by Justin Nichols, QSanAntonio.com, April 9, 2011

Much has been said about the chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party, Dan Ramos. But as things develop, we shouldn’t just write Ramos off as one county chairman gone crazy. Lessons can be learned here about politics, race, and the fight for equality.

On April 5 the Bexar County Democratic precinct chairs held two meetings, both claiming to be official. The San Antonio Express News reported that the larger meeting, at which Ramos was absent, had about 75 precinct chairs who voted to put Ramos on trial for rule violations. The smaller meeting, which Ramos attended, was comprised almost exclusively of Hispanic precinct chairs giving him, reportedly a “hero’s welcome.”

In March a local news survey on KSAT-TV showed that only 54 percdent of viewers believed that Ramos should resign his post – a far cry unanimous agreement. This got me thinking. Is there a quiet, but significant group of people who aren’t that upset with Ramos?

Ramos’ comments have become increasingly racially charged. Further, Ramos has maintained that his position opposing gay adoption and his feelings about Stonewall Democrats represents the true sentiments of Bexar County residents. What if Ramos is right, and what if race is a bigger player than meets the eye?

The Pew Hispanic Center, just four years ago, reported that 56 percent of Hispanics oppose gay marriage compared to only 42 percent of non-Hispanics. Only 37 percent of Hispanics believe that abortion should be legal compared to 47 percent of non-Hispanics. These numbers are in stark contrast to a 2010 Gallup poll of self-identifying Democrats showing 56 percent and 84 percent support gay marriage and some form of legal abortion, respectively.

According to Pew, Hispanics supported the Democratic Party 66 percent of the time in 2010; nearly triple the rate that supported the Republican Party. And, the Latino population is the fastest growing minority in the country – seeing a 56 percent increase from 2000 to 2010 in Southern states. This means that the fastest growing population, which overwhelmingly aligns with the Democratic Party, significantly breaks with the Democratic platform on issues like gay rights and women’s right to choose.

So maybe, the conflict in Bexar County is just a sample of a more inner-party disputes to come as the Latino populations grows and realizes more leadership positions in the Democratic Party.

To the people ready to accuse me of lumping all Latinos into one big bag: cool down, I’m not. I’m suggesting that, as the Hispanic community becomes more and politically active – flexing its muscle on issues like immigration and education – we shouldn’t assume that a “D” or “R” next to someone’s name automatically reveals their position on gay rights.

As a community, we need to be reaching out to all communities, and we should never assume that one group is automatically in our corner.

The co-chairs of the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio are right. Dan Ramos is a dinosaur who will soon be extinct. But I caution against assuming that when dinosaurs die there will automatically be political oil to drill. The numbers show there is no such guarantee.

Justin Nichols, 26, is a student at St. Mary’s School of Law. He holds a B.A. from Southern Methodist University in political science, and is a past president of the Teen Court Association of Texas. Nichols was endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund in 2008 when he ran for the Plano, Texas city council.  His email is Justin@JustinNichols.net.

Submissions to QSanAntonio
Do you have an opinion about something that you've read in QSanAntonio? All submissions should include your full name and telephone number. We reserve the right to edit submissions we accept for length and clarity.