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UCLA’s Williams Project Releases New Study on Black Same-Sex Couples in California

More than 9,500 Black men and women are living with a same-sex partner in California

September 20, 2005

Today, the Williams Project at UCLA School of Law released a new research study showing that over 9,500 black men and women in California identified themselves as living with a same-sex partner during Census 2000.  They constitute approximately 5% of  individuals in same-sex couples in the State.

The study also shows that more than half of California’s  black  same-sex couples are raising children--over 5, 1 00 children under 18--and that these families face the same economic difficulties as other black families in the State.

Gary J. Gates, co-author of the report and Senior Research Fellow at the Williams Project on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy said, “Census 2000 data quantify that black men and women represent a significant portion of California’s gay and lesbian families.  Many black same-sex couples, especially those with children, are economically vulnerable, especially as they lack the support and protections that marriage provides to other California families.”

Other key new findings of the study, Black Same-Sex Couples in California: Data from Census 2000, include:

• Among California counties, Alameda has the highest rate of black same-sex couples (1.4  per 1,000 households),  while Los Angeles County has the largest number of black same-sex couples (2,108).

• There are more than 4,000 black children being raised by same-sex couples in California. Seventy-five percent are being raised by two black parents and 91% have at least one black parent.   

• Black partners in same- and different-sex couples have similar and higher rates of military service (21% and 22% respectively )  than individuals of other races in same-sex (13%) and different-sex   (15%) couples.

• The average household income of black same-sex couples is much less than that of other same-sex couples ($61,434 v. $90,365).  Their average household incomes are closer to those of black different-sex couples ($61,434 v. $65,845). 

• In California, black same-sex parents are raising their children with fewer resources than non-black same-sex parents and black different-sex parents.  For example, the average household income for black same-sex parents is approximately $10,000 less than both that of non-black same-sex parents and black different-sex parents.    

• Both race and sexual orientation appear to contribute to making black same-sex parents poorer than other parents:  the average household income of black same-sex parents is over $21,000 less than that of non-black different-sex parents.   

The full text of the Williams Project study can be accessed at http://www.law.ucla.edu/willamsproject.  The study is the third of three studies analyzing Census 2000 data about Latino/as, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and African-Americans in same-sex couples in California.  This series of studies was made possible through a generous grant by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Foundation.