ORLANDO – This weekend, during its 2012 annual National Convention and Exposition, the League of United Latino American Citizens (LULAC) passed a resolution in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. More than 20,000 Hispanic community leaders and activists attended LULAC’s conference in Orlando.

Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry, said, “Today’s vote by the League of United Latino American Citizens in favor of the freedom to marry reflects LULAC’s longstanding support for inclusion and equality, and mirrors the values of a growing majority of Latinos in this country who know that every gay or lesbian person is part of someone’s family – a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a loved one—and no family members should face discrimination when they hope to marry the person they love.”

In 2006, LULAC launched its “Rainbow Council,” consisting of LGBT Latinos and allies, to create dialogue between the Hispanic and LGBT communities. In 2008 and 2009, the LULAC National Membership passed resolutions supporting repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), and passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

A report last year by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) found that 54 percent of Latinos support marriage equality. In April, an NBC/ Wall Street Journal poll found that 55 percent of Hispanics favor marriage equality, an 10 percent increase since October 2009.