The GenForward Survey project at the University of Chicago reports that more Latino millennials identify as LGBT+ than any other ethnic group, with 22% of Latino millennials responding as LGBT+, compared to 14% of all millennials.
This makes the Latino population both the fastest growing ethnic minority and LGBT+ group in America today.
While Latino millennials identify as LGBT+ at the highest rates, they also report experiencing more discrimination from within their ethnic community than any other group. Co-founder of Qlatinx, Ishmael Perez, speculates that conservative religious beliefs within the community could explain these seemingly contradictory trends.
“Many (if not most) of my LGBTQ peers have had negative experiences with organized religion and rigid social structures due to shaming of their gender, sexual orientation or other self-expression,” Perez told NBC News via email. “I believe some of this ‘casting out’ may lead people to explore and fully accept their gender and sexual identities more freely.”
These results underscore the need for further research and conversations about intersectionality in the LGBT+ community.
Read more at NBC