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Comparison of Same-Sex Couples Who Were Married in Massachusetts, Had Domestic Partnerships in California, or Had Civil Unions in Vermont

San Diego State University, California, erothblu{at}mail.sdsu.edu

Kimberly F. Balsam

University of Washington, Seattle

Sondra E. Solomon

University of Vermont, Burlington

This study compared 55 men and 78 women who had same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, 101 men and 120 women who had domestic partnerships in California, and 35 men and 86 women who had civil unions in Vermont, all in 2004. Couples were surveyed on demographic and relationship information, conflict, contact with family of origin, social support, politics, and leisure activities. There were few interstate differences, although couples in Massachusetts were more politically liberal and more sympathetic toward feminism than were couples in other states. There were, however, a number of gender differences. As compared to women, men were older and had waited longer to legalize their relationships; they were also more exclusively gay and less likely to have children. More than 90% of all couples were registered to vote and had voted in the last national election.

Key Words: lesbian couples • gay male couples • same-sex marriage • same-sex civil unions • same-sex domestic partnerships

Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 29, No. 1, 48-78 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0192513X07306087


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