Research help?

[Captain_Obvious]

I know this a touchy topic, and one that has people pitted against one another... But I have reached a road block in my research. I'm writing a research paper on Same-Sex Marriages. I'm looking for good sources and stats, (for the most part pro- gay marriage stats.) The problem I'm having is that I can't find neutral statistics, obviously the information I've been finding has been slanted for the particular side the source supports.

If anyone can help me out, I'd really appreciate it...

Thanks in advance!!!

[Scooter]

What sort of stats are you looking for? Number of same-sex marriages performed in the U.S.? You'd have to consult vital statistics records for every state where it is legal. Number of same-sex married couples? More difficult, because you would have to add in the marriages entered into by U.S. residents in other countries, and it is unlikely that those will be broken down by nationality of the spouses.

Does the U.S. census ask a question about whether people are in a same-sex relationship? Because that might provide a better estimate of how many same-sex couples would be married if they were legally permitted to do so.

[Sue U]

I'm looking for good sources and stats, (for the most part pro- gay marriage stats.) The problem I'm having is that I can't find neutral statistics, obviously the information I've been finding has been slanted for the particular side the source supports.

????

You're looking for pro-SSM stats, but at the same time looking for neutral stats???? (Whatever that means.) Statistics are just statistics; it's what you do with them that provides the slant.

Anyway, statistics concerning what, exactly? What are the specific issues you are trying to elucidate? Public opinion regarding marriage equality? Marriage rates? Divorce rates? Economics? Demographics? Civil union v. marriage? Domestic partnership and healthcare benefits? Ballot initiatives? Legislative action? Judicial decisions?

Googling "marriage equality" will turn up a lot of sites with good information.

[Gob]

Happy to help with foreign stats once you have narrowed the request a bit.

[dgs49]

Tangent Alert: I think I read yesterday that the Hillary Rosen person who was in the news a fortnight ago was a "divorced" lesbian with two adopted African American children. If true, this might be one reason why the Democrat Establishment asked that she STFU. Not really the type of life profile they want at the forefront in this election year.

[Scooter]

As opposed to a divorced lesbian with two adopted Asian-American children?

[Captain_Obvious]

I'm looking primarily at divorce rates. For both same sex couples and hetero couples. I believe I read somewhere that the divorce rates are lower for the same sex couples, but I can't find anything that doesn't factor in domestic partnerships and civil unions.

Also, I'd like to figure some stats from countries other than America... (Of divorce rates)

[Sue U]

Divorce rates are going to be skewed if for no other reason than same-sex marriage is new in the U.S., and so there hasn't been a sufficient length of time for newly-marrieds to reach the applicable statistical averages (the average time for a first-time divorce is after 11 years of marriage, with the spike being between 3 and 4 years, according to Divorceinfo.com).

This might be helpful staring point, with your follow-up through the citations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce_of ... ex_couples. Remember, it is entirely possible that the data you are seeking does not (yet) exist. You may be the researcher who does the groundbreaking work.

[Lord Jim]

Sue made the points I was going to.

[dgs49]

Keep in mind that a true divorce rate cannot be calculated until everyone in the subject group is DEAD.

For illustration, it can be ascertained what percentage of people who got married in 1910 ended up divorced, but the same cannot be calculated for 1973 (the year I got married), because couples who got married in 1973 might still get divorced before they die. The only statistic on gay marriages that is even possible is the number who got divorced in the first few years after marriage.

For gay marriages and "marriages," the definition of marriage is uncertain because it COULD include legal marriages, registered domestic partnerships, or two people formally or informally making a commitment to each other, and considering that they are then "married." Also, are the states going to track which divorce filings are for gay couples? Why would they? Where gay marriage is legal, are they going to distinguish between gay marriages and hetero-marriages? Why would they?

Also, the first couples getting married legally in states where that is permissible may or may not be representative of the eventual gay-married community. Are they mainly people who were already in long-term committed relationships (and less likely to divorce)?

I think it will be many years before any meaningful statistics are available on the subject, maybe never.

[rubato]

Prima facie I would expect same-sex marriages to end in divorce as often as opposite-sex marriages do. Although the latter occur much more often in conservative states so perhaps the default % will be lower when we reach an equilibrium state. Liberals appear not to divorce nearly as often as conservatives.

yrs,
rubato

[Gob]

This may be of some use Captain Obvious, lots of data links for UK stats.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog ... rtnerships

I have a good mate in the UK who married his same sex partner.