Contrary to previous years, a new study has found that now more than half of Latinos support marriage equality. The study, conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, revealed that 52 percent of Latinos believe same-sex marriage should be legal, with only 34 percent opposing. That is a significant turnaround from just six years ago, when 56 percent of Latinos did not approve of same-sex marriage. The Latino community’s support mirrors a growing general acceptance of marriage equality among the American public.
Latino superstar Ricky Martin with his boyfriend, Carlos Gonzalez Abella
The study also found that religious affiliation seemed to affect views on same-sex marriage. While 54 percent of Catholic Latinos support equality, 66 percent of those who affiliate themselves with the evangelical church oppose it. Seventy-one percent of evangelical Hispanics who attend church at least once a week are not in favor of same-sex marriage; however, 46 percent of Catholics who attend religious services weekly do support marriage equality.
Tying in with the upcoming election, the survey revealed that a whopping 69 percent of all registered Latino voters support President Obama, who backed marriage equality in May of this year. And although a vast majority of evangelical Hispanics oppose gay marriage, only 39 percent of them are likely to vote for Romney. With Election Day only a few weeks away, these new statistics could say a lot for how the Latino community will vote.
