Where We Are and Where We’re Going

A new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA (PDF link) has shown that the number of same-sex couples in the U.S. reporting themselves as “unmarried partners” quintupled between 1990 and 2006. The biggest increases were in socially conservative Southern and Mountain states, and states barring legal acceptance of same-sex couples. This seems odd—or highly masochistic—until one realizes that coming out played a big part, more so than migration in many cases. “General acceptance of lesbian and gay individuals and couples is likely a more recent phenomenon” in conservative regions, leading to the larger percentage increase of couples counted since 1990.

That’s heartening news for the state of our union and unions. As always, however, when a report like this comes out, I am left with more questions than answers. The study does not cross-reference data about the populations of same-sex couples raising children (or LGBT single parents), and thus gives no information on whether children affect a family’s decision to move or come out. It does note a shift in LGBT couples from urban to suburban areas—and I could see a link between this and child raising—but the most it concludes is “Supportive or restrictive laws relating to partnership recognition, child-rearing and discrimination could affect the mobility decisions of lesbians and gay men.” For LGBT families with children, however, the academic quality, diversity, or acceptance within a school system or particular school could be an important driver of decisions to relocate, as could nearness to other family members. It would also be interesting to find out whether LGBT people with children, regardless of whether they relocate, were more likely to stand up and be counted on a government census versus those without kids.

I’d also like to know if corporations with LGBT-inclusive policies serve as magnets to attract LGBT persons of all types to an area—and if those with parent-friendly policies attract those of us with kids. I’m tempted to download a bunch of data from the U.S. Census site and seeing how it matches up to the HRC Corporate Equality Index and the Working Mother 100. Much as the geeky part of me would like nothing better than to spend some time up to my elbows in Excel, however, I will leave it to the professional demographers. While they’re at it, they can also investigate issues like the impact of race, or how to include the transgender part of our community when the Census doesn’t ask about such things.

Even without these answers, the Williams study offers plenty of useful information and should strike fear into the hearts of conservative political strategists suddenly worried about queers in their midst. Still, it is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.