A Gay Wedding Windfall For New York

How Gay Marriage Boosted New York's Economy

When the New York Senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage on June 24, Michael Watts rushed to celebrate at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan, birthplace of the gay rights movement. The next morning, after a more sober assessment of the news, he bought advertisements in three gay publications for his catering business. "Congratulations New York! It's time to start planning," read the ads for Cocktail Caterer, the company Watts founded in 2005 with his domestic partner. Since then the company has received 50 inquiries about feeding nuptial guests, up from three in all of 2010. "People are realizing, 'Hello, there’s a market in this,' " says Watts.

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