Public opinion on same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination protections has evolved significantly over the past decade, including among the Hispanic American community. While overall support has grown among Hispanic Americans, clear divisions remain based on political affiliation, religious tradition, gender, age, and education. Moreover, the percentage of Hispanic Americans identifying as LGBTQ has more than doubled since 2016 from 5% to 12%. This Spotlight examines Hispanic Americans’ views on same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination protections, recognizing that Hispanic Americans are not a monolith, but a diverse group with varying perspectives shaped by a wide range of cultural backgrounds and experiences.

Support for Same-Sex Marriage

According to the PRRI American Values Atlas, Americans’ support for allowing same-sex couples to marry legally has increased 13 percentage points from 54% in 2014  to 67% in 2024. Among Hispanic Americans, support has similarly increased, from 55% in 2014 to 63% in 2024, peaking at 68% in 2022.

Over the past decade, Hispanic Democrats have consistently shown more support for same-sex marriage than Hispanic Republicans and Hispanic independents. In 2024, Hispanic Democrats (76%) were 30-percentage-points more likely than Hispanic Republicans (46%) and 6-percentage-points more likely than Hispanic independents (70%) to support same-sex marriage.^[1]

Since 2014, support for same-sex marriage has also increased among Hispanic Catholics, Hispanic Protestants, and Hispanic unaffiliated. Though support for same-sex marriage among Hispanic Protestants grew from 35% to 41% over the past decade, it has remained consistently lower than that of Hispanic unaffiliated (support increased from 71% in 2014 to 79% in 2024) and Hispanic Catholics (support increased from 60% in 2014 to 70% in 2024).^[2]

Prior to 2018, Hispanic women showed more support for same-sex marriage than Hispanic men, but since 2018, the gender gap has closed. In 2024, similar percentages of Hispanic women (63%) and Hispanic men (62%) favored same-sex marriage. Hispanic men’s support increased by 11 percentage points from 51% in 2014, while Hispanic women’s support remained mostly stable (from 59% in 2014).

LGBTQ Hispanic Americans have consistently shown higher support for same-sex marriage than both straight Hispanic Americans and the general U.S. population. In 2024, 79% of LGBTQ Hispanic Americans supported same-sex marriage, compared with 61% of straight Hispanic Americans. While support among straight Hispanic Americans has remained relatively steady (59% in 2016), surprisingly, support among LGBTQ Hispanic Americans has slightly declined from 84% in 2016.

Younger Hispanic Americans have supported same-sex marriage at higher rates than older Hispanic Americans. However, as of 2024, the gap in support across age groups has narrowed. Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic Americans ages 18-29 (65%) support same-sex marriage, down from 74% in 2023, but similar to 68% in 2014. Hispanic Americans ages 65 and older have experienced the most significant change in support, increasing from 31% in 2014 to 61% in 2024. Hispanic Americans ages 30-49 (53% to 64%) and 50-64 (46% to 57%) have also seen about a 10-percentage-point increase in support for same-sex marriage in the past decade.^[3]

Hispanic Americans with a four-year college degree have consistently supported same-sex marriage at higher rates than Hispanic Americans without a four-year college degree (75% vs. 60% in 2024). Support peaked in 2022, reaching 80% among college-educated Hispanic Americans and 65% among those without a four-year college. Support levels among Hispanic Americans without a four-year degree align with the national average, while Hispanic Americans with a four-year degree have consistently demonstrated higher levels of support.

Support for Nondiscrimination Protections

Americans’ support for laws that would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing increased from 71% in 2015 to 75% in 2024. Among Hispanic Americans, support has remained consistent over the past decade (74% in 2015; 73% in 2024).^[4]

Since 2015, Hispanic Democrats have favored nondiscrimination protections at higher rates than Hispanic Republicans and Hispanic independents, mirroring all Americans. While Hispanic Republicans decreased their support from 69% in 2015 to 57% in 2024, Hispanic Democrats’ support grew from 80% in 2015 to 85% in 2024. Hispanic independents resemble all Americans.

Hispanic Protestants have consistently favored LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections at lower rates than Hispanic Catholics and unaffiliated Hispanic Americans. While Hispanic Catholics experienced a slight increase in support for LGBTQ protections from 75% in 2015 to 79% in 2024, support among Hispanic Protestants decreased from 67% to 60% during the same period. Support among unaffiliated Hispanic Americans has remained consistent (83% in 2015; 82% in 2024).

Both Hispanic men (73%) and Hispanic women (73%) have shown similar levels of support for nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans over the past decade. However, in 2015, Hispanic women were more likely than Hispanic men to support these laws (77% vs. 71%). Since 2021, support has declined from its peak, when eight in ten Hispanic women (81%) and Hispanic men (79%) favored these protections.

Since 2017, LGBTQ Hispanic Americans have favored nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans at higher rates than their straight counterparts, with support peaking at 90% in 2023 and dropping to 83% in 2024. Among straight Hispanic Americans, support has remained stable (70% in 2017; 72% in 2024), with a high of 78% in 2022.

Support for LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections has shifted among young and older Hispanic Americans. While Hispanic Americans ages 65 and older have grown more likely to support nondiscrimination protections, from 58% in 2015 to 74% in 2024, Hispanic Americans ages 18-29, surprisingly, have experienced a decrease in support, from 81% to 71%.

Support among both Hispanic Americans without a four-year college degree (73% in 2015 and 71% in 2024) and among Hispanic Americans with a four-year degree (82% in 2015 and 2024) has remained relatively steady since 2015, peaking at 79% and 87%, respectively, in 2021.

[1] The number of cases for Hispanic Republicans is 62 in 2018 and 75 in 2019. Results need to be interpreted with caution for those years.

[2] The number of cases for Hispanic unaffiliated is closer to 100 in 2019, at 93 cases.

[3] The number of cases for Hispanics ages 65+ is 58 in 2018 and 74 in 2019. Results need to be interpreted with caution for those years.

[4] This question was not asked in 2016.