Census: 131,729 same-sex couples say they're married
Thu. September 29, 2011 5:07 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
Census data reveals same-sex households surging over past decade
Washington, DC -
Thousands of gays and lesbians identified themselves as married on their 2010 census forms according to newly released U.S. Census statistics.
Revised Census figures released Tuesday show 131,729 same-sex couples reported they were married on their decennial census forms. That's down from the original report of 646,000 same-sex couple homes.
Last year's Census was the first time people could indicate a same-sex household since gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts starting in 2004.
"It's the first time they've released counts of couples who use the terms "husband" and "wife,"" Gary Gates, a demographer with the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at the University of California told USA Today.
The data released Tuesday was a revision of earlier estimates that there were 349,3777 married same-sex couples and 552,620 unmarried gay and lesbian couples who lived together. The U.S. Census Bureau said the higher numbers released over the summer were caused by coding errors.
Washington D.C. had the highest number of both married and unmarried same-sex couples, followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Deleware, New Mexico and Washington State.
The revised data shows 23,049 same-sex households in Illinois, down from the 32,469 reported earlier this year. 19,442 of those households identify as unmarried partners, while 3,607 indicated they were married to a same-sex partner.
28,000 same-sex couples in California indicated they were married, that's 29 percent of California's 98,000 same-sex couples.
For more information on the Census statistics visit census.gov.
Revised Census figures released Tuesday show 131,729 same-sex couples reported they were married on their decennial census forms. That's down from the original report of 646,000 same-sex couple homes.
Last year's Census was the first time people could indicate a same-sex household since gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts starting in 2004.
"It's the first time they've released counts of couples who use the terms "husband" and "wife,"" Gary Gates, a demographer with the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at the University of California told USA Today.
The data released Tuesday was a revision of earlier estimates that there were 349,3777 married same-sex couples and 552,620 unmarried gay and lesbian couples who lived together. The U.S. Census Bureau said the higher numbers released over the summer were caused by coding errors.
Washington D.C. had the highest number of both married and unmarried same-sex couples, followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Deleware, New Mexico and Washington State.
The revised data shows 23,049 same-sex households in Illinois, down from the 32,469 reported earlier this year. 19,442 of those households identify as unmarried partners, while 3,607 indicated they were married to a same-sex partner.
28,000 same-sex couples in California indicated they were married, that's 29 percent of California's 98,000 same-sex couples.
For more information on the Census statistics visit census.gov.