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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN LOUISIANA: MORE THAN 9,000
COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE;
RAISING OVER 4,150 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 9,000 same-sex couples in Louisiana. The study shows that about 25% of the same-sex couples in Louisiana are raising an estimated 4,157 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/LouisianaCensusSnapshot.pdf KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 8,808 same-sex couples living in Louisiana. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 9,006. · There are an estimated 102,315 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Louisiana. · Same-sex couples live in every parish in Louisiana and constitute 1.0% of coupled households and 0.5% of all households in the state. Orleans Parish reported the most same-sex couples with 1,768 couples (0.94% of all households in the county), followed by Jefferson Parish with 998 couples (0.57%), and East Baton Rouge Parish with 796 couples (0.51%). The parishes with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Orleans Parish (0.94% of all county households), Pointe Coupee Parish (0.63%), Claiborne Parish (0.59%), and Catahoula Parish (0.59%). · Louisiana’s same-sex couples are more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 28% of same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 24% 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: 8% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 16% of married individuals. LOUISIANA’S SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE RAISING CHILDREN WITH FAR FEWER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN MARRIED PARENTS · Same-sex parents have far fewer financial resources to support their children than married parents in Louisiana. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $28,000, or 45% lower than that of married parents ($51,000). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $39,290, significantly less than $62,654 for married parents. · While 49% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a significantly larger percentage of married parents (80%) own their home. SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE LOUISIANA ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in Louisiana are significantly more likely to be employed than are married individuals: 76% of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, compared to 62% 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 Louisiana earn $32,611 each year, significantly less than $43,865 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Louisiana is $28,600, or 18% less than that of married men ($35,000). · Women in same-sex couples in Louisiana earn an average of $27,885 per year (with a median of $24,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $22,156 (with a median of $18,000). 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 Alabama and Georgia, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html. ###
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