Parenting by Gays More Common in the South, Census Shows

[groovedaddy]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Being gay in this Southern city was once a lonely existence. Most people kept their sexuality to themselves, and they were reminded of the dangers of being openly gay when a gay church was bombed in the 1980s. These days, there are eight churches that openly welcome gay worshipers. One even caters to couples with children.

The changes may seem surprising for a city where churches that have long condemned homosexuality remain a powerful force. But as demographers sift through recent data releases from the Census Bureau, they have found that Jacksonville is home to one of the biggest populations of gay parents in the country.

In addition, the data show, child rearing among same-sex couples is more common in the South than in any other region of the country, according to Gary Gates, a demographer at the University of California, Los Angeles. Gay couples in Southern states like Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas are more likely to be raising children than their counterparts on the West Coast, in New York and in New England.

The pattern, identified by Mr. Gates, is also notable because the families in this region defy the stereotype of a mainstream gay America that is white, affluent, urban and living in the Northeast or on the West Coast.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/us/19gays.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23

[marginlized]

1. First saw these stats back about '04?

GLBT couples with children: roughly 20% of male couples and 33% of women. And when you look at minority women, couples with children were more like 60%.

So, in regards to the impact of marriage equality, the best analysis indicated that, because of the higher incidence of children among lesbians of color that, in spite of what you see in the media, marriage held the most benefits for low income ethnic women. Higher income men and women are more likely to hire attorneys and buy trusts to achieve the same ends.