Same-sex marriage: Portland immigrant support group denied grant from Catholic charity
A local nonprofit that works on behalf of immigrant workers said Tuesday it refused to cut ties to another Latino group that supports same-sex marriage, cost it a $75,000 grant from a Roman Catholic organization.
The Voz Workers' Rights Education Project, a Northeast Portland group that connects Latino immigrants with jobs, said it was a finalist for a top grant from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. But last month, the group said, the conference told it to sever ties with the National Council of La Raza, one of the nation's leading Latino rights groups, because the council advocates same-sex marriage.
...the board voted last month to reject the grant.
...The group mostly helps male Latino immigrants who are struggling to find work in Portland, Villatoro said, including some who are undocumented or have criminal backgrounds.
...the group has called on President Barack Obama to allow a flood of unaccompanied minors to remain in the U.S...
La Raza announced its support for same-sex marriage in 2012...
Now, Voz plans to hold a news conference at its work center on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on Wednesday with leaders of Oregon AFL-CIO, Basic Rights Oregon and other civil and immigrant rights' groups who have come out in support of Voz.
"They have made a really tough decision to uphold their values of justice and equality," said Jeana Frazzini, the executive director of Basic Rights Oregon. So far, Basic Rights has received nearly $10,000 in pledges from LGBT groups to support Voz...
