March 8, 2008

AZ Study Tells Us What We Already Knew.

That is, as is the case most places, same-sex couples in that state make less money, have fewer resources and are less likely to own a home.

More than 16,930 same-sex couples lived in Arizona, according to the mid-decade U.S. Census.

“Gay men earn less than straight men,” said Adam Romero, a public-policy fellow who co-authored the study. “Even when you hold constant occupation, race, geography, they earn less and that’s something economists would call discrimination.”

You mean the oft-cited claims of the RRRW that gay people are inordinately wealthier than their straight peers are pure bunk? I’m shocked!

Women in same-sex relationships earn more than married women - $31,336 on average compared with $25,231. Romero attributed this to married women stepping out of the workforce more often to raise children.

“When you only look for households where children are present, same-sex couples do much, much worse,” he said.

Same-sex parents in Arizona have lower median household incomes, $39,000 a year compared with $54,000 for married couples.

I wonder where all of the “Won’t somebody please think of the children” people are now. They don’t seem to mind the fact that their homophobia is causing families, and therefore children, to suffer greatly.

Tina and Jennifer Merrell know that situation firsthand.

“We’re legal strangers,” said Tina, a 37-year-old chemical analyst for Freescale Semiconductor in Chandler.

“We can’t get married so we can’t participate in the 1,500 benefits and responsibilities that come along with marriage.”

The Merrells, who have been together since 1989, are among the 18 percent of same-sex couples who are raising children in Arizona. Only Jennifer has full parental rights to Samantha, their 16-month-old daughter. Tina is named as the child’s guardian in a legal document that must be renewed every six months.

“It’s exasperating that we have to sign it every six months,” Tina said. “Fortunately, we have a pediatrician who is very respectful and understanding if there’s a delay and Samantha has a doctor’s appointment.”
…..

So much for the argument some make that we don’t need Marriage, or even Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships because we can get the rights by going to a lawyer and “having papers drawn up”. Sure, we can do that for many things but it is a tedious, ongoing and costly process. Why should we be put through the time, effort and expense when opposite sex couples get all of those rights and privileges automatically just by getting married?

She estimated that they are penalized about $10,000 a year to have Jennifer and her biological child on Tina’s health insurance. Tina is being taxed for her domestic-partner benefits, and that differs from most insurance coverage for married couples and families.

The study also found that same-sex couples have fewer resources than married couples. For example, about 63 percent of same-sex couples own their homes in Arizona compared with 81 percent of married couples.

So overall same-sex couples and their families have it worse in than their opposite-sex counterparts thanks to the bigotries of the majority. Less money, fewer resources, more and bigger obstacles. The biggest indignity is that the RRRW claims the moral high ground while subjecting us to all of this.

Posted by: Buffy

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