(no subject)

[sophiaserpentia]

Same-sex couples with children have fewer financial resources than heterosexual married parents, with an average household income almost $12,000 less and a home ownership rate 15 percent lower, new research from UCLA shows.

More than 39 percent of same-sex couples in the United States, age 25-55, are raising children, more than 250,000 of whom are under 18 years old.

The picture of same-sex couples raising children presented by the 2000 U.S. Census is much different than the popular misconception that gay people are predominantly male, affluent, urban, white and childless, said Gary Gates, co-author of the study, sponsored by the Williams Project, which studies sexual orientation law.

"Same-sex couples raising children are more racially and ethnically diverse and do not fare as well economically as their different-sex married counterparts. As such, they and their children are in particular need of the legal, social and economic benefits of marriage," he said.

... The study provides an indicator of how "inequality in marriage truly harms our families and our children," said Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Pride Coalition. "It's still the case that many LGBT parents are forced to spend significant amounts of money to cobble together whatever legal protections they can -- if they are able to afford that at all -- because they can't access all the rights and responsibilities of marriage that come freely to heterosexual couples and parents," she told the PlanetOut Network.

from Study: Gay parents poorer than straight ones

Comments

[stacymckenna.livejournal.com]

link problems...

(I'm so curious! This does not at all match my admittedly small personal sample/experience.)

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Fixed the link problem.

[stacymckenna.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[stacymckenna.livejournal.com]

Fascinating - more inclined to be female/minority race. I wonder how much of that is the cause for the income/education discrepancy, versus the sexual orientation issue. I wonder how the education/earning power of the races/genders of the GLBT parents studied match those of the general population.

[aerope.livejournal.com]

that's a serious reality check on my stereotypes. very interesting.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that is an excellent question. I'd be interested in seeing the answer to that myself.