A new study concludes that legalizing
gay marriage has had no effect on the marriage rate among straight
couples.
Researchers at Portland State
University's School of Community Health examined opposite-sex
marriage rates in the United States over the last 2 decades ending in
2009. Heterosexual marriage rates in states which had legalized
civil unions or marriage for gay couples remained roughly the same as
in states which prohibited such unions.
“This research shows that increasing
legal recognition of same-sex marriage has no effects on rates of
opposite-sex marriage in states that passed same-sex marriage laws,”
said Alexis Dinno, lead researcher for the project. “Concerns
about potential harm to the rate of opposite-sex marriage from
same-sex marriage laws are not borne out by this research.”
Researchers described the claims of
opponents that allowing gay couples to marry undermines the
institution and discourages heterosexual couples from participating
as “not credible.”
“Such claims do not appear credible
in the face of the existing evidence, and we conclude that rates of
opposite sex marriages are not affected by legalization of same sex
civil unions or same sex marriages,” the
researchers concluded.