Study: Latino View on Gay Rights on Par With Most Americans

A new study of over 1,000 Latino Americans find that they are not more or less opposed to advancing LGBT rights than other Americans.

The research, from the Social Science Research Solutions and the Latino advocacy organization National Council of La Raza, found that 54% of the Latinos supported same-sex marriage — that's actually one percentage point higher than the general U.S. population, according to a recent Gallup poll. Support among Latinos for gay-inclusive protections in housing, employment, and military service was even higher.

"There is a clear misperception among the general population about where Latinos stand" on LGBT issues, David Dutwin, vice president of SSRS and author of the report, said in a statement."In reality, as society is evolving on LGBT issues and becoming more accepting of this community, so too are Hispanics." Read more about the findings here.

In related news, La Raza is also urging President Obama to issue an executive order banning LGBT discrimination in federal employment. "The EO is important to millions of Hispanic LGBT community members," La Raza vice president Eric Rodriguez writes in a statement. "[The order] protects a group of people who have a long history of being marginalized and gives them hope. That is why we urge you to sign an EO on this matter as soon as possible."