Besides being able to spread more love and joy after the Supreme Court decision of Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015, the ability to have a legal same-sex marriage in the United States has changed the nation for the better in many ways. From where to live, from celebrations of love, and the impact of the almighty gay dollar.
Economic Boost
Since the legalization of love, LGBT weddings have boosted state and local economies by an estimated $3.8 billion, according to a study published on Thursday. The numbers of couples that have tied the knot since 6/26/15 is roughly 300,000 couples adding to the 242,000 that had already wed in their own states that had individually legalized same-sex marriage (Williams Institute at California’s UCLA School of Law).
- $3.2 billion has been spent on wedding
- $544 million travel related to weddings
- $244 million generated in state and local taxes
Costa Rica joined the ranks on Tuesday of nations that have legalized same-sex marriage, moving the mark to 28 total nations. According to advocacy group Open For Business, gay marriage in Costa Rica could boost the economy by up to $592 million.
Best Cities for Same-Sex Couples [+LGBTQ State Stats]
Where do we all live? Seattle tops the list of the best cities for LGBTQ couples, but the list includes smaller towns like Portland, ME and Santa Rosa, CA as well. Data was analyzed and looked at everything from the concentration of same-sex couples to livability factors such as the cost of living and walkability. A quick look at the best cities for LGBTQ+ married couples:
- About 1 in 10 LGBT Americans (10.2%) are married to a same-sex partner.
- Seattle is the best city for same-sex couples. 1.09% of the population in Seattle are same-sex married couples and the city has a relatively high walkability score.
- San Francisco is 2nd in our ranking. The City by the Bay has a higher percentage (1.52%) of same-sex married couples than any other city in the top 10.
- Birmingham, Alabama, has the fewest LGBTQ residents of any large city.
You can view the full study here: The Best U.S. Cities for Same-Sex Couples
Barbie Wedding Set Creators Celebrate 1st Wedding Anniversary!
Our Barbie experience has truly inspired us with the idea of having a child of our own one day. I know that we would be great dads. With all that is currently going on in the world, it puts so much into perspective as well. Family, faith and unconditional love is so needed right now. – Matt Jacobi-Caprio.