An Economic Boost From Gay Marriage
Same-sex marriage is expected to add millions to California coffers
SAN FRANCISCO—With less than a week to go before same-sex couples will be allowed to legally marry in California, the upcoming wedding season isn't likely to ease the consciences of conservatives, but a new study (.pdf) indicates that it will provide a significant boost to the state's economy. In a paper posted this week by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, researchers predict that same-sex marriages will bring nearly $700 million to the California wedding industry and pump almost $65 million in new revenue into the state budget over the next three years.
Basing their estimates on marriage and spending rates in other states, the authors, Brad Sears, an adjunct professor of law at UCLA, and Lee Badgett, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, predict that approximately half of the 103,000 same-sex couples living in the state will get married in the next three years. Nearly 70,000 same-sex couples from other states, they predict, will come here to marry. Most same-sex-marriage advocates believe those are conservative estimates not only of how many same-sex couples there are in the state but of how much enthusiasm there is among gay and lesbian couples nationwide to make their unions official. As more couples tie the knot, Sears and Badgett believe the combination of marriage license fees, increased state and local tax revenues, and the attendant boost in tourism spending by wedding guests is likely to create and sustain over 2,100 jobs in California.
A recent study (.pdf) conducted by the Congressional Budget Office found that if all 50 states and the federal government extended the rights and obligations of marriage to same-sex couples, gay weddings would generate almost $1 billion in revenue each year. According to other estimates, same-sex marriages could tack on more than $16 billion annually to the $70 billion wedding industry.
Almost as soon as the state Supreme Court declared a state law banning same-sex marriage unconstitutional last month, analysts saw the potential for an economic boomlet. Some said, half-jokingly, that the decision could help solve California's looming budget crisis, which continues to dog the state. "This will be a boon to the marriage industry," said Douglas Kmiec, a professor of law at Pepperdine University, who pointed out that while Massachusetts, the only other state where gay marriage is legal, restricts its unions to state residents, California marriage licenses are open to nonresidents, as well. Once the court's ruling goes into effect on June 16, gay and lesbian couples from across the country will be able to come to the state, get married, and return home.
Even Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has thrown his support behind the court's decision, has said same-sex marriage will be good for the state's economy. "You know, I'm wishing everyone good luck with their marriages, and I hope that California's economy is booming because everyone is going to come here and get married," he told a gathering in San Francisco on May 21. At the time, Aaron McLear, a Schwarzenegger spokesman, said the governor's remark was meant to be "tongue in cheek." "Certainly whenever folks come to California and spend money, it's a good thing, but we have not done any kind of study to determine what kind of economic impact this will have," McLear said.
That impact—and the looming political showdown—appear to be getting clearer. Last week, the secretary of state certified a ballot initiative, signed by more than 1.1 million Californians, that would amend the state constitution and ban same-sex marriage in the state. Both opponents and proponents of the initiative are reported to be raising millions for a fall advertising campaign.
Reader Comments
To KC of MA
Check YOUR facts: The apa study you use as evidence showing that often times children raised by same sex parents fare better than children of different sex parents, is fatally flawed. Not only does it only study 500 children in 15 different studies over 25 years (thats an average of 34 children a study) which equals less than .05% of the lowest estimated amount of children being raised by same sex parents. But the study was designed to support proponents of same sex marriage, and was not unbiased. Thirdly and most fatally it compared children being raised by lesbian mothers who had been divorced from a different sex spouse to other single mothers, nor does the study even place any emphasis of children raised from birth by same sex parents vs. children raised from birth by different sex parents.
Next time when you think you are going to "Blast" someone's evidence with "scientific" evidence of your own, why don't you read the study instead of reading a newspaper story talking about the study.
This is the weakest study I have seen in a long time and proponents of Gay marriage should be embarrassed to use this as evidence supporting Gay marriage. By the way did you know divorce rates are higher among same sex marriages (particularly men)?
Also you mention that there are no studies to the contrary? Please, when you write something stupid like that you are telling readers that they are idiots.
http://www.marriagedebate.com/pdf/MothersFathersMatter.pdf
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=64817
Finally I submit that no one really knows the effects of same sex parents on children until those children mature, and the majority of the very few studies that have been published show that once these children become mature adults many problems surface, ranging from finding a partner to sustaining meaningful romantic relationships.
Gay families
Whoever the moron was that wrote "If gay couples are allowed to raise children, it will lead to even more broken homes than our high divorce rate now creates, and broken homes are highly correlated with increased crime by young people." Needs to do a little research before just pulling stuff like this out of their rear end. Here are some facts from the professionals for your reference and proper education on the matter.
I won't even bother to crush you by giving you the evidence that supports that gay parents often times actually make better parents. So please, prior to making such convictions, get the facts.
http://www.apa.org/pi/parent.html
In summary, there is no evidence to suggest that lesbian women or gay men are unfit to be parents or that psychosocial development among children of lesbian women or gay men is compromised relative to that among offspring of heterosexual parents. Not a single study has found children of lesbian or gay parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents. Indeed, the evidence to date suggests that home environments provided by lesbian and gay parents are as likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to support and enable children's psychosocial growth.
Here is where the real harm is:
"Unlike heterosexual parents and their children, however, lesbian and gay parents and their children are often subject to prejudice because of their sexual orientation that can turn judges, legislators, professionals, and the public against them, sometimes resulting in negative outcomes, such as loss of physical custody, restrictions on visitation, and prohibitions against adoption "
Make The World More Better.
All i got to say is that if you disagree about gay marriage den juz live for yourself n let others live for themselves, gay life had been hard for many ppl, plz show respect n let them live peacefully, n the world will be more peace =]
It's not about the Bible, but its about how can u make dis world more better n more peacefully.
Coz if your try 2 middle in someone lyf it juz sounds lyk your parents force u 2 go n marry someone u dun even lyk n dat lead 2 alot of trouble such as commit a suicide.
In order 2 gain peace we have to act respect to others so they can respect u back.
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