Gay and lesbian couples are being
credited for an increase in the demand for New York City marriage
licenses, the Wall
Street Journal reported.
New York legalized gay marriage in June
and the law took effect in July.
Since that time, the New York City
Clerk's Office has seen a significant demand for marriage licenses
over the same time period in 2010.
“We're overwhelmed,” Michael
McSweeney, the city clerk, told the paper. “It's been much busier
for us than this time last year, but we're delighted to see the extra
business because we understand the impact. We're handling it. We're
thrilled.”
While New York City does not ask
license applicants to identify by gender, officials believe that a
14% rise in demand, an increase of 4,042 licenses over last year, is
due almost entire to the unions of gay and lesbian couples.
But New York City's gay marriage rate
is difficult to determine because some of the licenses likely were
issued to out-of-state couples.
“Gay people come to New York because
it's a place of tolerance,” Harvey Molotch, a professor of
sociology at New York University, told the paper. “It's already a
place to come for vacation, and that lends itself to getting married,
too. You can stay there, have a good time, and do lots of things.
It's like that YMCA song.”