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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES IN NEBRASKA: ALMOST 4,000 COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE; RAISING MORE THAN 1,800 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 4,000 same-sex couples in Nebraska. The study shows that about 30% of the same-sex couples in Nebraska are raising an estimated 1,885 children. The study also shows that same-sex couples with children have fewer economic resources and own homes at a significantly lower rate than heterosexual, married parents. The full report may be found at: http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/NebraskaCensusSnapshot.pdf KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 2,332 same-sex couples living in Nebraska. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 3,986. · There are an estimated 42,934 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Nebraska. · Same-sex couples live in almost every county in Nebraska and constitute 0.6% of coupled households and 0.4% of all households in the state. Douglas County reported the most same-sex couples with 800 couples (0.44% of all households in the county), followed by Lancaster County with 422 couples (0.43%), and Sarpy County with 129 couples (0.30%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Thurston County (0.67% of all county households), Banner County (0.64%), and McPherson County (0.50%). · Nebraska’s same-sex couples are more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 12% of same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 8% 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: 13% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 17% of married individuals. NEBRASKA’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 Nebraska. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $49,300, or 12% lower than that of married parents ($55,800). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $56,906, less than $66,451 for married parents. · While 48% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a significantly larger percentage of married parents (79%) own their home. SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE NEBRASKA ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in Nebraska are significantly more likely to be employed than are married individuals: 85% of individuals in same- sex couples are employed, compared to 72% of married individuals. · Contrary to a popular stereotype, the annual earnings of men in same-sex couples are lower than those of married men. On average, men in same-sex couples in Nebraska earn $38,927 each year, less than $41,831 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Nebraska is $30,400, or 8% less than that of married men ($33,000). · Women in same-sex couples in Nebraska earn an average of $33,178 per year (with a median of $25,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $22,230 (with a median of $19,000). 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, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html. ###
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