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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN FLORIDA: ALMOST 55,000
COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE;
RAISING MORE THAN 17,000
CHILDREN
Press Release
For Immediate Release
December 20, 2007
Media Contacts:
Adam Romero (310)206-0725/romero@law.ucla.edu
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 for the almost
55,000 same-sex couples in
Florida. The study shows that
17% of the same-sex couples in
Florida are raising more than
17,000 children. The study also
shows that same-sex couples
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/FloridaCensusSnapshot.pdf
KEY FINDINGS
INCLUDE:
-
In 2000, there
were 41,048 same-sex couples
living in Florida. By 2005,
the number of same-sex couples
increased to almost 55,000.
-
In 2005, there
were almost 610,000 gay,
lesbian, and bisexual people
(single and coupled) living in
Florida.
-
Same-sex
couples live in every county
in Florida, constituting 1.2%
of coupled households and
0.65% of all households in the
state. Broward County reported
the most same-sex couples with
5,970 couples (0.91% of all
households in the county),
followed by Miami-Dade County
with 5,889 couples (0.76%),
and Palm Beach County with
3,069 couples (0.65%). The
county with the highest
percentage of same-sex couples
is Monroe County (1.59% of all
county households).
-
Florida’s
same-sex couples are as
racially and ethnically
diverse as their different-sex
married counterparts: 24% of
same-sex couples are nonwhite,
compared to 26% 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: 14% of individuals
in same-sex couples are
veterans.
SAME-SEX
HOUSEHOLDS RAISING CHILDREN HAVE
FEWER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN
MARRIED HOUSEHOLDS IN FLORIDA
-
Same-sex
parents have fewer financial
resources to support their
children than married
parents. The median household
income of same-sex couples
with children is $43,000, or
23% lower than that of married
parents ($55,500). The average
household income of same-sex
couples with children is
$51,486, significantly less
than $71,391 for married
parents.
-
While 49% of
same-sex couples with children
own a home, a much larger
percentage of married parents
(77%) own a home.
SAME-SEX COUPLES
ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE
FLORIDA ECONOMY
-
Individuals in
same-sex couples in Florida
are more likely to be employed
than are married individuals:
76% of individuals in same-sex
couples are employed, compared
to 57% of married individuals.
-
Contrary to a
popular stereotype, the annual
earnings of men in same-sex
couples are significantly
lower than married men. On
average, men in same-sex
couples in Florida earn
$38,095 each year,
significantly less than
$46,680 for married men. The
median income of men in
same-sex couples in Florida is
$30,000, or 10% less than that
of married men ($33,200).
-
Women in
same-sex couples in Florida
earn an average of $30,241 per
year (with a median of
$25,000), more than married
women, whose earnings average
$25,374 (with a median of
$20,100). Women in same-sex
couples earn, on average, less
than married men as well as
men in same-sex couples in
Florida.
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