A study recently released by professors at UCLA reveals
significant similarities and disparities exist between same-sex and
heterosexual couples in the United States.
The study, titled “Same-Sex Couples and Same-Sex Couples
Raising Children in The United States: Data from Census
2000,” was released Sept. 22 by the Williams Project, a UCLA
School of Law think tank that deals with legal issues for same-sex
couples.
“Individuals living in same-sex couples not only live
throughout the country, but share all of the other attributes of
the U.S.’s population ““ they include every race, every
ethnicity, the able-bodied and the disabled, citizens and
non-citizens,” according to the study.
The study “shows the normalcy of same-sex couples,”
said Gabe Rose, president of the UCLA Student Coalition for
Marriage Equality.
Members of same-sex couples depend on each other economically in
similar ways to those living in heterosexual couples, and over 39
percent of them aged 22-55 are raising children, the study
indicated.
Over 250,000 minors nationwide have same-sex parents.
But same-sex couples make an average of $12,000 less annually
than heterosexual couples, the study found.
The percentage of same-sex couples that own homes is over 15
percent lower than that of heterosexual couples. Education levels
for same-sex couples were also found to be lower than those for
heterosexual couples.
Still, members of same-sex couples are active contributors to
society, the study found. 71 percent are employed, compared to 65
percent of individuals in heterosexual couples; 15 percent are
veterans of the U.S. armed forces, compared with 19 percent for
heterosexual couples.
The study also found that a higher percentage of same-sex
couples raising children belong to racial minorities than their
married, heterosexual counterparts.
“One of the big messages (of the study) is that
there’s often a stereotype of the gay population as being
white, male and wealthy, and this report breaks those
stereotypes,” said Gary Gates, senior research fellow at the
Williams Project and co-author of the study.
Rose agreed with Gates’ statement.
“There are a lot of stereotypes about the gay community,
and that’s all they are ““ stereotypes based on cultural
phobias. The study proves that these stereotypes are wrong,”
he said.
Rose saidthe study brings increased visibility to minority gay
populations, especially those raising children.
The findings may affect the debate over legalizing same-sex
marriage.
The inability to legally marry exacerbates the disadvantages of
same-sex couples’ experiences, Gates said.
“Marriage creates and promotes a sense of economic
stability,” he said.
Gates pointed out that the lack of certain benefits of marriage,
including tax, workplace health care and Social Security benefits,
could be contributing to the lower overall economic status of
same-sex couples.
“Legalizing gay marriage would give (same-sex couples) the
added boost and equality they deserve as Americans,” Rose
said.
Social discrimination is also contributing to this disparity,
Gates added.
But “there is very little evidence that kids being raised
by gay parents have any disadvantage to kids being raised by
heterosexual parents,” Gates said.
The only disadvantage children may suffer comes from the same
socioeconomic factors the couples experience, Gates said.
Rose agreed with this statement.
“There is absolutely no social science to back up the
claims that same-sex couples are inferior parents. It’s a
stereotype based on an assumption that homosexuality is an
undesirable lifestyle.”
Both said they believed the inability to legally marry creates
an unfair and sometimes overwhelming obstacle to same-sex
couples.
“To the extent that the state or federal government is
concerned about the welfare of families, the lack of marriage
protection is an obstacle to a group that perhaps already has some
economic disadvantage,” Gates said. “This study
suggests that marriage would certainly help (the gay
population).”