New England Cities With Most Same-Sex Couples Raising Kids
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
The survey is based on a report by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, ranking the nation's metropolitan areas and states based on percent of same-sex couples raising children. The data for the report comes from the US Census Bureau’s estimates for same-sex couples. [Same sex couples are identified in households where Person 1 describes his or her relationship with another adult of the same sex as a husband or wife.]
The report shows a correlation between higher percentages of same-sex couples raising children in states with bans on gay marriage. All six New England states have passed legislation allowing for same-sex marriage.
Even with a ban barring same-sex marriage, Mississippi topped the charts nationally with 25.69% of same-sex couples raising children. Of the six New England states, Vermont posted the highest percentage of same-sex couples raising children (18.62%), yet only ranked #21 nationally. Massachusetts and Connecticut came in at #31 and #32 respectively while New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine followed at #35, #48 and #49 nationally. At the other end of the spectrum, Florida ranked last with only 13.31% of same-sex couples raising children.
“It’s important for same-sex couples raising children to live in places where they and their kids feel safe,“ said Carissa Cunningham of the Boston-based legal rights organization, GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders). “There are a lot of places across the country where people don’t have that benefit.” According to Cunningham, legalizing same-sex marriage allows for children to receive numerous financial and social benefits that children of un-wed same-sex parents can’t take advantage of.
For how all of New England's metropolitan areas ranked, see the slides, below. Note: the study ranked two separate groups: metropolitan areas under 1 million residents and over 1 million residents.
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