Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Report Reveals Same-Sex Population Trends
by Lisa Keen
2007-12-05

This article shared 4583 times since Wed Dec 5, 2007
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


The number of same-sex couples in Illinois in 2006 was almost five times greater than the number counted in 1990 when the U.S. Census Bureau first collected data on same-sex partner households. That increase is similar to a national trend. But the number in Chicago has grown at only about half that pace.

These are just some of the conclusions found in 'Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey,' a study released Nov. 2. The study was prepared by Gary Gates, a senior research fellow at the Williams Institute, a research center at UCLA for sexual orientation, law and policy studies. Gates examined data from the 1990 and 2000 decennial surveys of every household in the United States and data from the annual 'American Community Surveys' for the years 2002 through the latest, 2006.

His report shows that the most recent Census Bureau data, from 2006, estimates there are 779,867 same-sex couples in the United States—up from 145,130 who self-identified in the 1990 decennial census.

In Illinois, the number of same-sex couples jumped from 6,220 in 1990 to 22,887 in 2000. The number increased again and peaked in 2004 at 30,088. It has remained steady since then, numbering 30,432 in 2006. In Chicago, which accounted for more than half the state's total in 1990, same-sex couples numbered 3,842 during that first tally. The number jumped to 9,412 in 2000 and has been roller-coastering in the years since. The peak count thus far came in 2005 with 10,001 same-sex couples. In 2006, the number had dropped to 8,983.

Examining how that data stacks up to the overall number of households, the number of same-sex couple households per thousand in Illinois has grown from 1.48 in 1990 to 6.43 in 2006, putting the state squarely in the middle of all 50 states in terms of the concentration of gay couples. In Chicago, there were 3.76 same-sex couple households per every 1,000 in 1990, but 9.5 per thousand in the last three years. That ranks Chicago 18th among the nation's 50 most populous cities in terms of same-sex couple concentration.

Gates says his analysis 'allows us to measure the closet'—that is, the number of people who were unwilling to self-identify as gay—between 1990 and 2006.

'And it gives us a clue about what states might be turning a little more purple,' he said, referring to the identification of state voting records as trending toward Democratic ( blue ) or Republican ( red ) .

Utah, he said, was the most dramatic in both respects. In regard to the concentration of same-sex couples, Utah ranked number 38 in 1990. But in 2006, it ranked number 14.

'It's now one of the gayest states in the country,' said Gates. That finding stands in stark contrast, of course, to what most people think of Utah —as a Mormon-dominated population that is generally hostile to gays.

Other interesting data which Gates teased out in his analysis include:

• Among states, Vermont has the highest concentration of same-sex couple households ( 9.71 per 1,000 households ) ; followed by New Mexico ( 9.03 ) , Massachusetts ( 8.99 ) , Washington ( 8.94 ) , and Oregon ( 8.83 ) ;

• Among cities, San Francisco continues to reign as the gayest city in the United States, based on its concentration of same-sex households ( 28.72 per 1,000 ) . Seattle comes second ( 21.27 ) , followed by Minneapolis ( 18.68 ) , Portland, Ore., ( 16.94 ) and Sacramento ( 16.36 ) .

• Of the 779,867 same-sex couples in 2006, the data estimates that 53.5 percent of male couples and 46.5 percent are female couples;

• Comparing population trends of the public at large and those of same-sex couple households, Gates said he found evidence suggesting more same-sex couples are moving from the city to the suburbs.

The greatest surge in the number of reported same-sex couple households occurred between the 1990 census, when the census form first provided an option for same-sex couples to identify themselves, and 2000. In 2000, the 594,391 same-sex couples were more than three times the 145,130 identified in 1990. The increase between 2000 and 2006 was 185,476 couples, or a 31 percent increase.

The concentration of same-sex couples to all households grew from 1.56 per 1,000 in 1990 to 5.61 per 1,000 in 2000, and 6.79 per 1,000 for 2004-2006.

While the decennial survey numbers are based on a questionnaire that the Census Bureau tries to have every household in the country fill out, the American Community Survey is an annual questionnaire sent out to only about three million households nationwide—about 250,000 each month. At the end of the year, the data is put all together and a calculation provides an estimate of the national total for that year. Gates said he used an average from the years 2004-2006 because the community survey samples are 'still relatively small compared to the Census,' and, thus, a single-year ranking of a city or state can vary substantially.

Gates said the questions asked on each of the surveys were 'exactly the same,' but noted that the Census Bureau has made improvements in how it counts same-sex couples. He also said that, while the annual community survey is an estimate –compared to the actual head count of the decennial census— the jump in numbers between 2000 and 2006 is still statistically significant.

And politically significant, too.

Gates said his analysis indicates that the largest increases in the number of same-sex couple households occurred in the most politically conservative areas. For instance, states where the public voted on constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage saw, on average, a 41 percent increase in the number of same-sex couple households between 2000 and 2006. States which did not consider constitutional bans saw only a 27 percent increase.

States which have some form of legal recognition of same-sex relationships saw an increase of 23 percent in the number of same-sex households, compared to states which provided no recognition, which rose by 32 percent.

'If this many people are coming out and being more visible,' said Gates, 'over the next couple of years, gay issues aren't going to have the sort of political resonance they've had in the past.'


This article shared 4583 times since Wed Dec 5, 2007
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill 2024-03-27
- On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event 2024-03-25
- Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors 2024-03-24
- On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama 2024-03-22
- Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

Congressional Equality Caucus on FY24 bills passing the house 2024-03-22
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement after the House successfully passed the final funding bills for Fiscal Year ...


Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist 2024-03-21
- Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ candidates Marcelino Garcia, Precious Brady Davis win primary elections to keep MWRD seats 2024-03-21
- Marcelino Garcia and Precious Brady-Davis, the two openly LGBTQ+ incumbents in the race to keep their seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), won their primary elections and will move on to the general this ...


Gay News

Small LGBTQ+ candidate pool nevertheless scores some important victories March 19 2024-03-20
- Relatively few openly LGBTQ+ candidates were running in the March 19 Illinois Primary Election. But there were some significant contests in play at the local, state and federal levels. Openly gay Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) ...


Gay News

Gay Irish prime minister to step down 2024-03-20
- In a surprise move, openly gay Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing "personal and political, but mainly political reasons," according to CNN. Varadkar said he felt he was no longer ...


Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course 2024-03-18
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools 2024-03-15
- In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood 2024-03-13
- LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77 2024-03-12
- On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner 2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.