30% Increase

I found this blog by Gregory Herek, from listening to this Radio West episode about being gay and Republican (It has a Utah angle and is a good listen, too). From the blog, I see a 2005 update of the 2000 census figures on same sex households has come out (here in pdf):

This first analysis of 2005 American Community Survey data contains some new insights. The number of same-sex couples increased by 30 percent from counts made in Census 2000. Growth in the number of same-sex couples throughout the Midwest suggests that as acceptance of lesbian and gay couples reaches into America's Heartland, more couples are willing to identify themselves.

Of course the problem is that there is significant under reporting that’s improved with better social climate, and so one can’t conclude a 30% increase in 5 years occurred in actual gays deciding to cohabitate instead of remain in the “care-free” single life. Still, I’m sure it is increasing in reality too, and it’s good news either way.

I remember debating whether or not to self ID our home on the 2000 census. After a while I decided I had to be honest and could risk it. I’m glad more folks are feeling the same.

A Couple Odd Studies

Some new relevant research:

Sackoff, J. E., D. B. Hanna, et al. (2006). "Causes of Death among Persons with AIDS in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: New York City." Annals of Internal Medicine 145(6): 397-406.

“Non–HIV-related causes of death account for one fourth of all deaths of persons with AIDS.”

Good news there, it seems. But this is the one that struck me as really odd:

Pathela, P., A. Hajat, et al. (2006). "Discordance between Sexual Behavior and Self-Reported Sexual Identity: A Population-Based Survey of New York City Men." Annals of Internal Medicine 145(6): 416-425.

"Of New York City men reporting a sexual identity [gay or straight], 12% reported sex with other men."

"Many New York City men who have sex with men do not identify as gay."

This is from a sample of 4193 men. I wish I had found this while at work, as I won’t be able to see the full text until tomorrow, but a news report on the research, here, says:

“10 percent of men interviewed in New York who identified themselves as heterosexual reported having sex with at least one man during the previous year.”

And

“70 percent of the men [I'd assume of that 10%?] who had sex with other men were married [to women?].”

Wow. Something seems off there, maybe the reporter’s mistake? I’ll have to read the study tomorrow.

Perhaps this just shows how unreliable interviews are, but even if it’s half true… You gays married to women are not that alone.

More data in the comments

A Counterintuitive Statistic

A break from history (stalling as I’m not quite sure how or if I want to talk about becoming parents).

The following are the top 3 states in the percentage of self-identified same-sex headed households raising minor children in the US (from the 2000 census, source):

Lesbian headed families:
1. Mississippi, at 44 percent
2. Utah and South Dakota, both at 42 percent
3. Texas, at 41 percent

Gay male headed families:
1. South Dakota, at 33 percent
2. Mississippi, at 31 percent
3. Utah and Idaho, both at 30 percent

On the surface, isn’t that odd? Look at conservative, LDS Utah there, #3 and #2 in the nation for my family type. (It shows at our monthly family get-togethers too.)

These are some of the states with the most strict laws and cultures aimed at stopping gay couples from raising children, but they are the states with the highest rates of gay couples doing just that.

Why? Is it that these states have cultures that encourage gays to marry heterosexuals, leading to marriages with children that don’t last? Seems plausible, but such a state would also likely limit custody being awarded to a home containing a “gay lover”.

For me, I knew I was going to be a father from as far back as I can remember, and, despite being gay and unable to procreate with my spouse, it came to be. We both grew up knowing that was our destiny. We were both, thankfully, taught that by our culture.

In the end I have to wonder if Utah isn’t #3 in the nation despite the LDS church, but because of the LDS church.