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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN ALABAMA: MORE THAN 8,500
COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE;
RAISING OVER 3,300 CHILDREN
Press Release January 15, 2008
Media Contacts:
Gary Gates (310)825-1868/gates@law.ucla.edu LOS ANGELES - Today, the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law released a new research study providing demographic and economic information about the more than 8,500 same-sex couples in Alabama. The study shows that about 25% of the same-sex couples in Alabama are raising an estimated 3,309 children. The study also shows that same-sex couples, especially those raising children, have fewer economic resources and own homes at a significantly lower rate than their heterosexual, married counterparts. The full report may be found at: http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/AlabamaCensusSnapshot.pdf KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 8,109 same-sex couples living in Alabama. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 8,602. · There are an estimated 94,639 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Alabama. · Same-sex couples live in every county in Alabama and constitute 0.8% of coupled households and 0.5% of all households in the state. Jefferson County reported the most same-sex couples with 1,488 couples (0.57% of all households in the county), followed by Mobile County with 800 couples (0.53%), and Madison County with 430 couples (0.39%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Perry County (0.72% of all county households), Hale County (0.64%), Choctaw County (0.63%), and Bullock County (0.63%). · Alabama’s same-sex couples are more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 30% of same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 18% of married couples. · Despite the military’s historic policies of excluding gay men and lesbians from service, individuals in same-sex couples have served in the military: 7% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 17% of married individuals. ALABAMA’S SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE RAISING CHILDREN WITH FEWER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN MARRIED PARENTS · Same-sex parents have fewer financial resources to support their children than married parents in Alabama. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $35,500, or 30% lower than that of married parents ($50,600). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $42,666, significantly less than $62,142 for married parents. · While 56% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a significantly larger percentage of married parents (82%) own their home. SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE ALABAMA ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in Alabama are more likely to be employed than are married individuals: 66% of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, compared to 63% of married individuals. · Contrary to a popular stereotype, the annual earnings of men in same-sex couples are significantly lower than those of married men. On average, men in same-sex couples in Alabama earn $29,377 each year, significantly less than $43,207 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Alabama is $25,000, or 26% less than that of married men ($34,000). · Women in same-sex couples in Alabama earn an average of $23,582 per year (with a median of $18,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $22,311 (with a median of $18,500). Women in same-sex couples earn less than married men as well as men in same-sex couples. The Williams Institute also released today similar Census Snapshots for Georgia and Louisiana, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html. ###
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