Census: 150,000 Gay Marriages Reported

WASHINGTON — Nearly 150,000 same-sex couples reported being in marriage relationships last year, many more than the number of actual weddings and civil unions, according to the first U.S. census figures released on same-sex marriages.

About 27 percent of the estimated 564,743 total gay couples in the United States said they were in a relationship akin to "husband" and "wife," according to the Census Bureau tally provided to The Associated Press. That's compared with 91 percent of the 61.3 million total opposite-sex couples who reported being married.

A consultant to the Census Bureau estimated there were roughly 100,000 official same-sex weddings, civil unions and domestic partnerships in 2008.

Analysts said the disparities are probably a reflection of same-sex couples in committed relationships who would get married if they could in their states. The numbers are also an indicator of the count to come in the 2010 census, a tally that could stir a state-by-state fight over same-sex marriage, gay adoption and other legal rights.

Nationwide, about 56 percent of the 149,956 total same-sex marriages in the census survey last year were lesbian couples. Same-sex spouses were reported in every state; specific breakdowns weren't immediately available.

"Even though in 2008 there were only a few states where you could get legally married, a large portion of same-sex couples either were married or chose to use that term," said Gary Gates, a demographer at UCLA who is advising the Census Bureau.

Gates reviewed the number of marriage licenses issued and other factors to estimate the number of same-sex couples in legal relationships. During 2008, same-sex marriage was legal in California, Massachusetts, Iowa and Connecticut, while a handful of other states recognized civil unions and domestic partnerships. U.S. same-sex couples also can marry in Canada and other foreign countries.

Curtis Chin, 41, and Jeff Kim, 43, of Los Angeles, are among those who plan to report to the census that they are spouses. The two were planning a big wedding for 2009 but rushed into a private legal ceremony last fall when it became clear that California voters would soon ban same-sex marriages. Chin says he and Kim won't feel like they are really married until they do a follow-up ceremony in front of family and friends but believe it's important to get a full count.

Story continues below

advertisement

"Gay couples are getting married or in committed relationships, and we are out here," he said.

The numbers come as the Census Bureau prepares to make an official count of same-sex marriages, unions and partnerships for the first time in the 2010 head count, following the Obama administration's decision to provide the numbers under pressure from gay-rights groups.

The figures provided to the AP also included higher, previously unreleased numbers for the three previous years.

In 2007, 341,000 out of 753,618 total same-sex couples reported being in a marriage relationship, even though only about 11,000 marriage licenses had been issued in the country. The numbers were even higher for 2005 and 2006; about 390,000 each year reported being in a same-sex marriage out of nearly 780,000 reported gay couples.

Martin O'Connell, the Census Bureau's chief of the fertility and family statistics branch, attributed the higher numbers in previous years to a confusing survey layout and formatting errors. He said those problems were corrected for 2008.

___

On the Net:

Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov

Comments

[wdw505]

so a lot of people lied on the census..........a crime ..........time to prosecute

laughing

[Scriobhaim]

There should be no "legal gay marriage". There should be no "legal heterosexual marriage". There should be no "legal" marriage, period. The state should not BE in the business of calling/de­claring/so­lemnizing people as "married". There should be a state-issued certificate of "single household", for tax and other purposes, with certain restrictions and liabilities attached (for example, you can't declare "single household" and get tax breaks for two years and then suddenly quit, without certain penalties - to prevent a revolving-door game). Lots of people who don't even have any intention in the least to consider themselves "married" (like a person and an aged parent, or even just a couple of truly "platonic" friends) could avail themselves of it. Couples who want to head right to their church from the state office, to get (church-) "married" could do so. Gays who want to call themselves "married" could do so (free speech). But government doesn't need to be in the defining-w­ho's-marri­ed-game.

[johnbdonovan]

You're making it obvious that this isn't about gays getting married but about obliterating marriage in general. That's also clear when you consider that if you give gays the chance to marry, most of them don't care enough to bother. Also, if you want to add up the number who are still together after five years, married or not, you can take some zeros off the 150,000.

[StevenKeirstead]

You are assuming Scriobhaim represents a significant number of people in the US, but I really doubt that is the case. He is calling for the abolition of marriage, but the really committed gay couples want marriage rights to be expanded to include them. As the concept of same sex marriage becomes mainstream, I predict that a higher percentage of gays and lesbians will desire legal spousehood with a partner. And from our experience in Massachusetts, 5 years on, hardly any of the thousands of same sex couples have divorced.

[Liberal Angel]

You must not realize that most straight people don't rush off to get married, and they can get married whenever, wherever they want. Just hop on a plane and go to Vegas. I just don't understand why you claim to know something about if gays are given the chance to excersize their Constitutional rights, they choose not to "bother". I seriously doubt you know the first thing about gays. You haven't been coming off as someone with real knowledge of gay issues in general, gay rights in particular. You also claim you know how many gay couples are still together after five years. I'm curious to know where you came by that (totally fabricated) factoid? Oh when will you accept that science and justice are real things, and wish and fantasy are just that? And BTW... if Pennsylvania weren't so backward, I would be married by now to my boyfriend whom I've been faithful to from day one.

[StevenKeirstead]

That is roughly 1 gay married or permanently partnered person per 1000 people on general, so Maine might have 1,300 persons who might want to get married of Question 1 fails (650 couples). Not huge but significant. Seems like the "same sex marriage is a waste of scare economic resources" argument is also weakened if we are talking 1 in a 1000. Even if these couples eventually pay less in taxes (their fair share), it won't break the government's bank.

[StevenKeirstead]

I just read that 5% of Maine's adopted children are being raised by same sex couples. These couples need the right to marry if the kids are to be fully supported and protected in the event of the death of one parent. Too often in the past, homophobic grandparents or other relatives have used the death of a gay parent to grab custody of children, taking them away from the surviving parent, the person they were closest to in all the world. Gay and lesbian parents are doing their fair share of parenting orphans and abandoned children. They should be applauded for that work and given the legal tools to be the most effective parents they can be.

[ricmarc]

my partner and i are having our second census together. we have been together for 15 years and own a home in michigan. he is a fire fighter.

[WilliePilgrim]

What? No gay divorces? What about us polyamorous? What about celibates? Statistics are fine but using them to progress an agenda beyond the law only makes things more murky. I am against gay marriage because I am against marriage being a recognized legal relationship and instead wish for a secularization of the religious ritual called marriage by many. I want the opportunity to make civil domestic contracts with others and the govenrment and church can butt-out at that and just make sure the contract is legal and observed. Some gay or polyamorous people get their feelings hurt cuz they cant have a party in a particular basilica...go build your own. And dump the tax exemption for churches while your at it; another example of gross disregard for the seperation of church and state so many of us cherish far beyond the alleged benefits the supposed sanctions provide, as if that were our collective secular business anyhow.

[StevenKeirstead]

Marriage is already a civil matter first in the US, with religion having an optional role. The problem is not that marriage is a religious institution, but that people don't know the legal technicalities of how it works. I think people just need to be educated, perhaps we need mandatory marriage education classes before people can get a license!

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

Married people live longer healthier lives. They are more financially secure. They pay more in taxes. So how is this bad for America?

[elliekay]

I wonder how much higher the actual number is. I wasn't censured, for example, so make that 500,001!

[StevenKeirstead]

Censored, not censured!

[drkazmd65]

I don't find these numbers at all shocking. My current next-door neighbors (who have lived together, shared a mortgage for over 10 years & such) are a couple of great guys.

They are every bit as much a 'married' couple as my wife & I have been for 15 years.

Wake up conservatives. Open your minds and your eyes. Chances are, you alread know a gay couple who are functionally as married as us straights.

[LeftoftheLeft]

I don't care if they open their minds and their eyes.

I'd be happy if they just minded their own damn business.

[KIVPossum]

Excellent. When two people care about each other and want to form a union, I don't give a damn what it's called or how it occurs....I support it.

[Philip N. Cohen - Huffpost Blogger]

When the last numbers came out, I wrote: "When it comes to marriage, believing it, and being recognized for it, is part of what makes it beneficial. Whether that works for same-sex couples who are denied the legal right to an enforceable marriage is yet to be determined. But as more same-sex couples claim married status, and more of the people they meet acknowledge same-sex marriage as normal -- legal or not -- we may find out." Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-n-cohen/are-you-really-married-hu_b_222078.html

[highlyamused]

As a non-denominational licensed minister here in Iowa.....I CAN'T wait to officiate at my first 'same-sex' wedding! What a beautiful day that will be.

[DevonTexas]

And the sky hasn't fallen! Amazing!

[ramal]

"Every victory, gonna bring another. Carry it on. Carry it on."

[NextYearLions]

That's encouraging news.

[Geoffreys]

According to their numbers, there are roughly 200,000 fewer same-sex couples in 2008 than in the previous 3 years ....

On the 1990 census, my partner and I listed ourselves as single. In 2000, we were domestic partners. I intend to state we are married in 2010 regardless of Texas' stance on gay marriage.