New survey shows that a firm majority of Latinos support the freedom to marry

new poll from NBC Latino/IBOPE Zogby indicates that a solid majority of Latinos in the United States support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples.

60 percent of Latinos surveyed in the poll said they "strongly agree" that same-sex couples should be able to marry. 48 percent reported that they "strongly agree" with marriage for same-sex couples. Only 31 percent said that they "strongly disagree" with same-sex couples having the freedom to marry.

The poll is the latest evidence of the rapidly increasing support for the freedom to marry in the Latino community. In April, a poll found that 67 percent of acculturated Hispanics say they support "legal gay marriage," countering false assumptions that Hispanics are more anti-gay than other segments. Leaders across the Latino community have voiced their fervent support for the freedom to marry, including the boards of the National Council of La Raza and the League of United Latin American Citizens, the country's largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization, respectively.

Freedom to Marry's Director of Public Engagement Thalia Zepatos reflected on the poll's findings today in a statement:

Support for the freedom to marry in Latino communities has now reached a supermajority as more Latinos learn that marriage matters to their gay family members for similar reasons as it matters to them: to make a lifetime commitment to each other, to share in the respect and dignity that comes with being married, and to protect their families. Latinos care about marriage because they care about family, and no member of anyone's family should ever face discrimination. As more Latinos talk with their gay and lesbian family members, they realize that no one should be denied the freedom to marry the person that they love.

To continue the Latino community's upward momentum on supporting LGBT people and embracing fairness for all families, Freedom to Marry has teamed up with over 20 leading Hispanic organizations to launch Familia es Familia. Familia es Familia, which launched in July 2012, is an innovative and comprehensive public education campaign that aims to heighten acceptance of LGBT family members within the Latino community. 

The Familia es Familia website is full of resources designed to empower voices within and from Latino families and communities. You can read stories from Latino families and find out more about the importance of embracing marriage for all loving and committed couples HERE. 

Freedom to Marry is thrilled and energized to see growing majority support for the freedom to marry among Latinos - and among nearly every community across the country. We are excited to see more Americans each day taking the time to reflect on the importance of marriage for all couples and consistently voice their support for the freedom to marry.