A new national study challenges the widely held perception Latinos are persistently anti-gay.

Released Thursday by the research group Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS) and the Hispanic advocacy organization National Council of La Raza, it found Latino support for many pro-gay policies at least on par with that of the population as a whole.

Latinos in the SSRS study, for example, support same-sex marriage at a rate of 54 percent, compared with 53 percent of those in the general population who indicated such support in a Gallup poll last year.

And by even wider margins, respondents in the SSRS study favor policies aimed at protecting gays against hate crimes and discrimination related to jobs, housing and military service.

The findings come as a referendum seeking to place Washington’s same-sex marriage law on the November ballot has begun circulating across the state and appearing in churches — including Catholic parishes, where many Latinos worship. Referendum backers, including the National Organization for Marriage, are hoping voters ultimately reject the new law.

With a population exceeding 50 million, Latinos represent the fastest-growing group in the U.S., one with a strong family-oriented culture and firm religious beliefs. And where they stand as a group on issues like same-sex marriage is gaining increased national attention.

Read the full story at the Seattle Times