Latinos say they are accepting of members of the LGBTQ community, and many support someone’s right to choose the gender they identify with, according to a new Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo.
Why it matters: The percentage of Latinos who identify as LGBTQ has more than doubled in the past decade and has outpaced growth among white and Black Americans.
By the numbers: 62% of respondents in the latest Axios/Ipsos poll of Latinos said they are comfortable around people who identify as LGBTQ.
- Support rose depending on how long they've been in the country: 70% of second generation Latinos (born to immigrant parents) said they were comfortable around LGBTQ people, while 76% of third generation (have U.S. born parents) Latinos said the same.
- Respondents of Central American heritage were the least accepting, whereas those of Mexican and Puerto Rican origins expressed the most tolerance.
Between the lines: States with big Latino populations have recently passed legislation like the “don’t say gay” bill in Florida, and an order from the Texas governor would require authorities to investigate parents for child abuse if they provide gender-affirming treatments for their kids.
- 43% of respondents said they don’t think a parent helping a child with gender-affirming treatments should be considered child abuse, while 23% of respondents said it could be and the rest had no opinion.
- Two-thirds of polled Latinos said they support students being taught about sexuality and gender identity.
- 48% agree that teenagers should be able to determine their gender identity for themselves, compared to 29% who disagree.
What they’re saying: “Amid the wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation we are seeing across the country, it is heartening to see a majority of Latino adults in the U.S. embrace acceptance of transgender youth,” Amit Paley, CEO of the nonprofit The Trevor Project, told Axios Latino.
Methodology: This Axios/Ipsos Latino Poll, in partnership with Noticias Telemundo, was conducted March 7-18 2021, by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,005 Hispanic/Latino adults age 18 or older.
- The margin of sampling error is ±3.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample.
Subscribe to Axios Latino and get more news that matters about Latinos and Latin America, delivered right to your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.