California beats Massachusetts on gay marriage totals

California has married more same-sex couples in three months than Massachusetts has married in three years, according to a new study from UCLA’s Williams Institute for the study of law and sexual orientation.

The study, released today, found that an estimated 11,000 same-sex couples have married in California between June 17, when the marriages become legal, and Sept. 17. Five counties -- Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Riverside and Alameda -- accounted for 80% of those marriages.

The institute, which is the nation’s only think tank dedicated to studying law and policy as it pertains to sexual orientation, also released studies that found that there are more than 109,000 same-sex couples in California, and 52,000 children are living in those households.

-- Jessica Garrison

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Paul Rehme]

CA v. MA

As a former Californian (SFO 1978-1981) and a Massachusetts resident (since 1981) there are many reasons why California has performed more same-sex marriages than Massachusetts.

First, California is six times the population of Massachusetts, with about 30 million more people than our Commonwealth. California's budget deficit is, I believe, approximate to our entire state budget.

Second, California is an international tourist mecca. Yes, we have Cape Cod (with Provincetown) but you have San Francisco, the Russian River, metro LA, San Diego, and last - but not least - my unofficial second home of Palm Springs.

Third, until recently, gay and lesbian couples in Massachusetts lived under the threat of a constitutional amendment to repeal marriage equality. My partner (a term I still use as I am of a generation where "husband" sounds awkward) were married in Canada, which is an easy half day's drive from Boston. No voter initiative in Massachusetts could repeal a contract executed in Canada.

Fourth, until recently, mostly only Massachusetts same-sex couples could marry in Massachusetts, as Massachusetts would officially marry only couples outside the Commonwealth if these marriages would be recognized in their home states or countries. (Nevermind the ignorance of those whom believe Massachusetts was the "first and only" place in the world to allow gays to marry - and think California is the second).

Fifth, California has long been a "gay magnet" - indeed, I moved there in 1981 from Kansas. I moved away from San Francisco so I could finish college as it was "too gay" - I needed to explore other parts of myself that had nothing to do with my sexuality. I met my partner, however, my first winter here in Boston - and we have been together since.

Sixth, people do marry outside of their home states. Read the New York Times Styles section and you will read about gay and lesbian couples from all parts of the world marrying everywhere.

Numbers are very tricky things to interpolate. My Canadian marriage is recognized here in Massachusetts, but does not appear in the statistics that the LA Times references. The only important thing, however, is that all gay and straight couples have an equal right to marriage, and that California has the opportunity to continue to beat Massachusetts in the numbers game.