NationStates Jolt Archive

Study: Gay marriages pump $111 million into Mass

AMHERST, Mass.—A study says the over 12,000 same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts since 2004 have pumped over $111 million into the state's economy.

The report from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law says a typical same-sex couple spent about $7,400 on their wedding, with one in ten couples spending over $20,000.

A second study by the same group found that young, highly educated people in same-sex relationships were 2.5 times more likely to move to Massachusetts after 2004 than before gay marriage became legal.

M.V. Lee Badgett, a researcher at the University of Massachusetts and a study co-author, says allowing gay couples to marry has helped businesses in tough economic times.

Sunday marks the five-year anniversary of Massachusetts recording its first same-sex marriage licenses.

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Information from: Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Link (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/17/study_gay_marriages_pump_111_million_into_mass/)

Didn't someone argue that homosexual marriage would actually harm the economy, someone on NSG posted an article about some guy saying that allowing gays to marry would harm the economy.

Well, apparently not.

So what's the next argument are the Religious Right Wing are going to come up with to oppose gay marriage?

This is obviously frivolous spending. they could have spent this money bailing out the auto companies.

Didn't someone argue that homosexual marriage would actually harm the economy, someone on NSG posted an article about some guy saying that allowing gays to marry would harm the economy.

Well, apparently not.

So what's the next argument are the Religious Right Wing are going to come up with to oppose gay marriage?

And you know what Wilgrove this is a pretty shit argument to allow gay marriage, almost as bad as any reason to deny it.

Oh I thought it said Greys...I thought you were saying UFOs are good for the economy.

Are they simulating it using computer models, or did they create a small working economy to test theories, or what?

Are they simulating it using computer models, or did they create a small working economy to test theories, or what?

I am putting my money on mime or expressive dance.

If I were a community planner trying to redevelop a struggling community, the demographic group I would target most deliberately are homosexuals. They tend to be more highly educated than the rest of the population, they (usually) don't have kids (no school spending on them!), they tend to be professional, and they tend to be wonderful at taking care of their stuff.

And not only that, but once the gays come, the artists come, and then the rich white people come and shove the artists out, and suddenly you've got a redeveloped urban community.

They "simulate" economy? Do they play Monopoly a lot more than straight couples?

They "simulate" economy? Do they play Monopoly a lot more than straight couples?

Beat ya to it. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=14804037&postcount=5) :p

Who would have thought that Massawhatever would find gays so.....stimulating.

Link (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/17/study_gay_marriages_pump_111_million_into_mass/)

Didn't someone argue that homosexual marriage would actually harm the economy, someone on NSG posted an article about some guy saying that allowing gays to marry would harm the economy.

Well, apparently not.

So what's the next argument are the Religious Right Wing are going to come up with to oppose gay marriage?

"Acceptance of gay marriage will lead to more Democratic presidents!"

[NOTICE: This thread is officially engaged to its same-sex partner, the thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=594445) explaining that the republicans have no clue what's going on. Please send any requests for the ceremony to those who actually has the appropriate info instead of me. :p]

Beat ya to it. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=14804037&postcount=5) :p

Awww... crap. :(

If I were a community planner trying to redevelop a struggling community, the demographic group I would target most deliberately are homosexuals. They tend to be more highly educated than the rest of the population, they (usually) don't have kids (no school spending on them!), they tend to be professional, and they tend to be wonderful at taking care of their stuff.

And not only that, but once the gays come, the artists come, and then the rich white people come and shove the artists out, and suddenly you've got a redeveloped urban community.

Yeah they are known for upping the value of the community they move into.

These benefits will diminish as more states legalize it. It's not really that great an argument.

Not that same-sex marriage needs any argument beyond the obvious one.

They tend to be more highly educated than the rest of the population, they (usually) don't have kids (no school spending on them!), they tend to be professional, and they tend to be wonderful at taking care of their stuff.

This is probably somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but for the record, all of this but the "don't have kids" part probably isn't true--at least not of people exclusively or predominantly attracted to the same sex. Gay as a cultural group and gay as a sexual orientation do not match up perfectly. The former group is undoubtedly disproportionately white, disproportionately well-educated, disproportionately professional, and so forth, but those facts have little to do with their sexual orientation.

They tend to be more highly educated than the rest of the population, they (usually) don't have kids (no school spending on them!), they tend to be professional, and they tend to be wonderful at taking care of their stuff.

Interesting stuff, they also tend to rent rather than buy a house and usually spend more then they earn.

Yay for gay simulation! :D

...oh, you probably meant stimulate.

Yay for gay stimulation! :D


:eek:

:D

Is it bad that what I really took away from this article was "Same sex marriage... has pumped... into the state's..."

Fill in the blanks :)

So apparently it was Michael Steele I was referring to, and he said Gays would hurt small businesses.

Gay Marriage Is Anti-Small Business, Says Michael Steele
May 19, 2009 12:54 PM ET | Matthew Bandyk | Permanent Link | Print

I might be a little late here, but I just have to comment on this story.

GOP Chairman Michael Steele explained in a recent speech how his party should "recast" the gay marriage issue as not just a social issue, but a business issue:

"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told Republicans at the state convention in traditionally conservative Georgia. "So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."

It's almost unfair to comment on this because it's so hard to figure out what Steele even means here. I guess he's saying that if a small-business owner has gay employees who suddenly are able to get married, that owner will have to pay higher benefit costs, such as higher health-care premiums to insure the spouse.

The GOP should sincerely hope that Steele did not think out this argument before saying it. Because if this is actually what he meant to argue, the party's leadership is in bigger trouble than has been thought.

The argument basically is "more marriages are bad for small businesses." In no way does it single out gay marriage--if a straight employee decided to settle down, the employer would face the same increased costs.

Does Steele really want to argue that marriages for small-business employees (and small businesses are the largest type of employer in the country) should be discouraged? That doesn't sound like the stance the Republican Party---the same party that bemoans the horrors of single motherhood and the death of the family--wants to be taking.

Link (http://www.usnews.com/blogs/risky-business/2009/05/19/gay-marriage-is-anti-small-business-says-michael-steele.html)