Latinos support same-sex marriage rights, new poll confirms

by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer

Six out of ten U.S. Latinos support marriage equality, according to a new national poll.

The NBC Latino/IBOPE Zogby survey asked 400 Latinos nationwide, 'Do you agree or disagree with same-sex couples having the right to marry?' Results showed that a large majority support equality, but that opinion has become polarized between two strongly held, opposing viewpoints.

Sixty percent of the respondents said they agreed - 48% 'strongly' and 12% 'somewhat.' Only 38% disagreed with same-sex marriage - 31% 'strongly' and 7% 'somewhat.'

Polling was done between August 31 and September 4. The results have a 4.8-point margin of error, according to the pollsters.

Respondents were also asked what they felt would be parents' biggest disappointment with respect to their children.

Forty-three percent said 'being a drug addict,' 33% said 'going to prison,' and only 10% said 'being Gay.' Five percent answered 'being a teen parent.'

STATE RESULTS SIMILAR
The national data echo polling done in Washington state.

Although SurveyUSA identifies these voters as 'Hispanic' rather than 'Latino,' their September poll of Washington likely voters showed that 53% of Hispanics intended to approve Referendum 74, with 45% saying they would reject it. A July poll by the same pollster showed 66% of Hispanic voters favoring R-74 and only 27% opposed to it.

The decline in support for R-74 among this group could be attributed to active campaigning against marriage equality by the state's Roman Catholic bishops. According to the Center for Applied Research at Georgetown University, some 70% of Latinos in the U.S. identify as Catholic.

In Washington, Latinos make up the largest nonwhite racial category, comprising slightly more than 11% of the population. Sixteen percent of Washington residents identify as Catholic. SurveyUSA based its samples on the assumption that Hispanic voters would make up 8% of likely voters, or 9% of registered voters.

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