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Press Release
For Immediate Release

April 14, 2008

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 about the more than 3,200 same-sex couples in Puerto Rico. The study shows that 40% of the same-sex couples in Puerto Rico are raising an estimated 6,318 children. The study also shows same-sex couples, especially those with children, have fewer economic resources to provide for their families than their married counterparts: they have lower household incomes and lower rates of homeownership.

The full report may be found at: http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/PuertoRicoCensusSnapshot.pdf

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:
• In 2000, there were 6,818 same-sex couples living in Puerto Rico.
• There are an estimated 48,000 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Puerto Rico.
• Same-sex couples live in all but one of the municipalities in Puerto Rico and constitute 0.9% of coupled households and 0.5% of all households in the Commonwealth. San Juan Municipio reported the most same-sex couples with 1,061 couples (0.65% of all households in the municipality), followed by Bayamón Municipio with 401 couples (0.54%), and Carolina Municipio with 384 couples (0.60%). The municipalities with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Maunabo Municipio (0.80% of all municipality households), Vieques Municipio (0.78%), and Aguas Buenas Municipio (0.76%).
• Individuals in same-sex couples in Puerto Rico mirror their married counterparts in race and ethnicity: 2% of individuals in same-sex couples are non-Hispanic, compared to 1% of married individuals.
• Despite the military’s historic policies of excluding gay men and lesbians from service, individuals in same-sex couples have served in the military: 3% of individuals in same-sex couples in Puerto Rico are veterans, compared to 7% of married individuals.

PUERTO RICO’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 Puerto Rico. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $12,400, or 38% lower than that of married parents ($20,000). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $16,565, significantly less than $30,305 for married parents.
• While 56% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a significantly larger percentage of married parents (74%) own their home.

SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE PUERTO RICO ECONOMY
• 35% of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, compared to 38% 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 Puerto Rico earn $16,845 each year, significantly less than $23,705 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Puerto Rico is $14,400, or 4% less than that of married men ($15,000).
• Women in same-sex couples in Puerto Rico earn an average of $24,803 per year (with a median of $13,600), more than married women, whose earnings average $16,387 (with a median of $12,500).

The Williams Institute also released today similar a Census Snapshot for Hawaii, which is available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html. 

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