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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN MISSOURI: ALMOST 15,000
COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE;
RAISING MORE THAN 5,400 CHILDREN
Press Release January 24, 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 almost 15,000 same-sex couples in Missouri. The study shows that about 20% of the same-sex couples in Missouri are raising an estimated 5,472 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/MissouriCensusSnapshot.pdf KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 9,428 same-sex couples living in Missouri. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 14,722. · There are an estimated 160,912 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Missouri. · Same-sex couples live in every county and independent city in Missouri and constitute 0.8% of coupled households and 0.4% of all households in the state. Jackson County reported the most same-sex couples with 1,723 couples (0.65% of all households in the county), followed by St. Louis County with 1,463 couples (0.36%), and St. Louis City with 1,297 couples (0.88%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are St. Louis City (0.88% of all county households), Jackson County (0.65%), Boone County (0.55%), and Moniteau County (0.53%). · Missouri’s same-sex couples are more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 15% of same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 9% 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 18% of married individuals. MISSOURI’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 Missouri. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $36,300, or 35% lower than that of married parents ($56,000). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $44,280, significantly less than $67,853 for married parents. · While 44% 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 MISSOURI ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in Missouri are significantly more likely to be employed than are married individuals: 80% of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, compared to 67% 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 Missouri earn $33,695 each year, significantly less than $44,610 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Missouri is $27,000, or 23% less than that of married men ($35,000). · Women in same-sex couples in Missouri earn an average of $26,244 per year (with a median of $25,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $23,334 (with a median of $20,000). 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 Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html. ###
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