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October 09, 2008

California Gay Marriages Surpass Massachusetts

More same-sex couples have married in California since it was legalized in June than married in the four years since Massachusetts began marrying gay couples in 2004, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.

An estimated 11,000 same-sex couples have married in California, with five counties accounting for nearly 80% of the matrimonies: Los Angeles (2,719), San Francisco (2,708), San Diego (1,689), Riverside (1,247), and Alameda (475). California is home to 14% percent of the country’s same-sex couples, the largest percentage nationwide.

Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, partially attributed the nuptial rush to the imminent vote on Proposition 8, which if passed, will constitutionally outlaw same-sex marriage in the state.

“After November 4, it’s possible the door to having that experience of a legally recognized marriage will be closed,” Kendell told The New York Times. “And faced with that, many couples have, to some degree, rushed to get married in order to assure that they are legally recognized.”

Demographically speaking, Williams Institute researchers have found that about 25% of gay couples in California are raising more than 52,000 children. Lesbians are more likely to be living with partners but gay men have longer lasting relationships. Among couples who sought official recognition either through domestic partnerships or marriage, men had been together an average of 12 years while lesbian couples average nine years. (The Advocate)

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