Current:Home > InvestIt’s official, the census says: Gay male couples like San Francisco. Lesbians like the Berkshires-LoTradeCoin
It’s official, the census says: Gay male couples like San Francisco. Lesbians like the Berkshires
View Date:2024-12-23 19:21:35
Gay male couples tend to gravitate toward big cities on the U.S. coasts, while lesbian couples tend to prefer smaller, more pastoral cities or towns, according to 2020 census figures that reinforce some preconceived notions about LGBTQ+ communities in the U.S.
Counties with the highest concentrations of male same-sex couple households were those that include San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston and Washington, D.C., according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released last week.
Some of the highest concentrations of female same-sex couple households were in Hampshire and Franklin counties in the Berkshires, a rural region of western Massachusetts that is home to several colleges, art museums and theaters. Also in the count were counties that are home to Portland, Oregon; Asheville, North Carolina; and Ithaca, New York, where Cornell University and Ithaca College are located.
The locations aren’t entirely surprising, since they fall in line with cultural stereotypes of gay men being urban creatures and lesbian women being outdoorsy, said Crissi Dalfonzo, director of the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach and Services at Ithaca College.
“Stereotypes often exist for a reason, but they can be problematic because they can take away the individuality,” Dalfonzo said.
Gender pay inequity may be a factor, too. Experts say some of the differences may be due to male couples having higher incomes and able to live in more expensive big cities, while female couples are more likely to be raising children.
“In general, large urban settings are more expensive and less child-friendly than suburban and rural areas. As such, it makes sense that female couples would opt for less urban locales,” said Gary Gates, a retired UCLA demographer who studied LGBTQ+ issues.
The differences play into some traditional stereotypes, but they also may boil down to where male and female couples feel most at ease, whether it’s a feeling of community or safety in smaller towns or the comfort of “gayborhoods” in big cities, said Amy Stone, a sociology professor at Trinity University in San Antonio.
“It’s where people feel safe living or where they find support. Where gay couples feel safe and where female couples feel safe isn’t always the same place,” Stone said.
Stone studied at Amherst College in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires, which is also home to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and two historically all-female colleges, Smith and Mount Holyoke colleges. The county had the largest share of female same-sex couple households in the U.S., at almost 4%, according to the 2020 census. Over the decades, it has been home to lesbian music and film festivals, as well as scores of lesbian-owned businesses and cultural institutions.
“Everyone knew it was a place lesbians often stayed after graduating,” Stone said. “There have been a lot of lesbian institutions there for a long time.”
San Francisco County had the largest share of male same-sex couple households, at almost 6%.
There was some overlap between the 10 cities and counties with the largest share of female and male same-sex couple households — Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Virginia; and St. Louis. Rounding out the list for male same-sex couple households were counties or parishes that are home to New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For female same-sex couple households, it included the county that is home to Decatur, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta; and Baltimore.
In pure numbers, Los Angeles County was tops for both types of same-sex couples, but it’s also by far the most populous county in the U.S., with more than 10 million residents.
In its current form, the once-a-decade census captures LGBTQ+ people only if they are living together as spouses or partners, through queries about household relationships, which is only about a sixth of the LGBTQ+ population in the U.S., according to some estimates. As a result, it misses people who are single or are not cohabitating, as well as transgender people.
It has only been in the last decade that the Census Bureau added “same sex” and “opposite sex” to its relationship categories for spouses and unmarried partners in its surveys and the census.
The Census Bureau currently is looking at adding questions about sexual orientation and gender identity for people ages 15 and older to its annual American Community Survey, which is the agency’s most comprehensive survey of American life.
Gay couples are highly visible in Broward County, home to Fort Lauderdale, which has a gay police chief and mayor, said Keith Blackburn, who heads the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s the warmth and acceptance that everyone in Broward County seems to give our community. We have a lot of openly gay officials,” Blackburn said. “You see same-sex couples holding hands everywhere.”
___
Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform X: @MikeSchneiderAP.
veryGood! (373)
Related
- Wisconsin agency issues first round of permits for Enbridge Line 5 reroute around reservation
- Sudan’s generals agree to meet in efforts to end their devastating war, a regional bloc says
- Students and lawmakers gather at Philadelphia temple to denounce antisemitism
- Here's What to Give the Man in Your Life to Sneakily Upgrade His Style For the Holidays
- Nelly will not face charges after St. Louis casino arrest for drug possession
- Vermont Sheriff’s Association calls for sheriff who kicked shackled prisoner to resign
- LSU QB Jayden Daniels wins Heisman Trophy despite team's struggles
- GOP presidential candidates weigh in on January debate participation
- Will Trump’s hush money conviction stand? A judge will rule on the president-elect’s immunity claim
- Person of interest taken into custody in killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll
Ranking
- Cruel Intentions' Brooke Lena Johnson Teases the Biggest Differences Between the Show and the 1999 Film
- Texans QB C.J. Stroud evaluated for concussion after head hits deck during loss to Jets
- 'The Zone of Interest' named best film of 2023 by Los Angeles Film Critics Association
- Dangerous weekend weather forecast: Atmospheric river; millions face flooding risk
- FBI raids New York City apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, reports say
- Negotiators, activists and officials ramp up the urgency as climate talks enter final days
- Elon Musk restores X account of Alex Jones, right-wing conspiracy theorist banned for abusive behavior
- Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' movie nominated for Golden Globe
Recommendation
-
Kevin Costner says he hasn't watched John Dutton's fate on 'Yellowstone': 'Swear to God'
-
Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert suffers right index fracture vs. Denver Broncos
-
No. 2 oil-producing US state braces for possible end to income bonanza in New Mexico
-
Trump says he won’t testify again at his New York fraud trial. He says he has nothing more to say
-
Rita Ora Says Liam Payne “Left Such a Mark on This World” in Emotional Tribute
-
2 people have been killed in a shooting in the southern Swiss town of Sion
-
GOP presidential candidates weigh in on January debate participation
-
Inside Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet’s “Cozy” Date Night at Wonka Premiere