In the state's continuing political battles over gay marriage, both sides are targeting Latino voters, and a new Los Angeles Times poll illustrates why.
Overall, the poll showed a majority of voters in Los Angeles support the right of same-sex couples to legally marry, with 56% in favor and 37% opposed. That finding closely tracked results of November's election, when Proposition 8, which limited marriage to a man and a woman, won statewide but lost in Los Angeles.
But the poll also showed that within the city, views on the issue differed widely among racial and ethnic groups.
White voters were most emphatic in supporting same-sex marriage, with 68% approving of it and 27% opposing. African American voters were almost the opposite, with 54% opposing same-sex unions and 37% supporting them. Opposition to gay marriage by African Americans was widely seen as a major factor contributing to the passage of Proposition 8.
In the current poll, Latinos were split, with 45% supporting same-sex marriage and 46% opposing. Within the Latino population, there were additional divisions: Women, the young and people with a college education offered more backing for it than men, older voters and those with less education.