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UCLA's Williams Institute Analyzes Census Data Relevant to Today’s Hearing of California Marriage Cases
Media Contact: Professor Brad Sears UCLA School of Law T: (310) 794-5279 C: (213) 842-9814
July 10, 2006 Today, the California First District Court of Appeal will hear oral arguments in six cases on whether the California constitution requires the State to extend marriage to same-sex couples. The appeals are brought by California's attorney general and two groups opposed to gay marriage. They follow San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer's March 2005 ruling that the State's existing marriage laws violate the constitutional rights of gay men and lesbians. During the past year, the Williams Institute, a national research center at UCLA School of Law, has issued a series of studies of Census 2000 data that provides insight to the couples and families that will be directly impacted by these cases. The Williams Institute’s analysis of Census 2000 data shows: 1. California has more same-sex couples than any other state. · There are over 90,000 same-sex couples living in California, more than in any other state. · Same-sex couples live throughout California; they live in every California county.
2. Same sex-couples in California are raising over 70,000 children. · Same-sex couples in California are raising over 70,000 children, including over 50,000 of their “own” children. o The Census category of “own” children refers to children who are biologically-related to, adopted by, or stepchildren of the householder. Children who live with same-sex couples, but are not those couples’ “own children,” include foster children and other children who are not related to the couple. · Over 28% of same-sex couples in California are raising their “own” children. · The children of same-sex couples are more likely to be under five years old, to have disabilities, and to be adopted. · Over 71% of these children are racial and ethnic minorities. Race/Ethnicity of Same-sex Couples’ Own Children
3. Same-sex couples with children in California need the economic protections that marriage provides.
Compared to married couples with children, same-sex couples with children have fewer economic resources to care for their children. · For example, same-sex parents have lower household incomes, lower home ownership rates, and less valuable homes than married couples. · The median household income for same-sex parents is $10,000 lower than the median household income for married couples with children; the average household income is over $13,000 lower. · Parents in same-sex couples are more likely to be racial minorities, Hispanic, Spanish speakers, non-citizens, and/or disabled than parents in married couples. All of these factors may mean that these parents are more likely to face discrimination in employment or the housing and rental markets, making it more difficult for them to provide for their children. · Across categories of race and ethnicity, same-sex couples raising children tend to have fewer resources than their different-sex counterparts.
4. Members of same-sex couples depend upon each other in ways that are similar to members of married couples.
Individuals in same-sex couples depend on each other economically, indicating that they need the legal and economic protections that marriage provides. · For members of same-sex couples, the average difference in total individual incomes was $37,034 in 1999, compared to $24,502 for unmarried different-sex couples. · In addition, in 29% of same-sex couples in California, one person is employed while the other is either unemployed or out of the labor force. By comparison, 24% of unmarried different-sex couples have only one person employed. Additional research on same-sex couples in California can be found on the Williams Institute website: Same-Sex Couples in California Key Findings about Race and Ethnicity of Same-Sex Couples in California | ||||||
