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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN OKLAHOMA: ALMOST 8,200
COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE;
RAISING MORE THAN 4,000 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 8,200 same-sex couples in Oklahoma. The study shows that about 26% of the same-sex couples in Oklahoma are raising an estimated 4,075 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/OklahomaCensusSnapshot.pdf KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 5,763 same-sex couples living in Oklahoma. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 8,159. · There are an estimated 89,561 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Oklahoma. · Same-sex couples live in all but 1 county in Oklahoma and constitute 0.7% of coupled households and 0.4% of all households in the state. Oklahoma County reported the most same-sex couples with 1,436 couples (0.54% of all county households), followed by Tulsa County with 1,112 couples (0.49%), and Cleveland County with 324 couples (0.41%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Roger Mills County (0.70% of all county households), Pushmataha County (0.65%), and Logan County (0.61%). · Oklahoma’s same-sex couples are more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 21% 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: 11% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 18% of married individuals. OKLAHOMA’S SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE RAISING CHILDREN WITH FEWER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN MARRIED PARENTS · Same-sex parents have far fewer financial resources to support their children than married parents in Oklahoma. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $36,300, or 24% lower than that of married parents ($48,000). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $42,287, significantly less than $57,826 for married parents. · While 34% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a significantly larger percentage of married parents (76%) own their home. SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE OKLAHOMA ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in Oklahoma are more likely to be employed than are married individuals: 67% of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, compared to 64% 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 Oklahoma earn $29,232 each year, significantly less than $39,462 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Oklahoma is $24,000, or 23% less than that of married men ($31,000). · Women in same-sex couples in Oklahoma earn an average of $21,348 per year (with a median of $18,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $20,913 (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 Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html. ###
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