US 2010 census reveals gay couples more likely to be interracial
Newly analysed data from the US’ 2010 census has revealed gay couples are more likely to be interracial in their make-up than straight couples.
An analysis by the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute showed that same-sex couples were more likely to be interracial, and that couples with a racial or ethnic minority are more likely to be raising children.
The census data revealed that more than one in five same-sex couples 20.6% were interracial or inter-ethnic, compared with 18.3% of straight unmarried couples and 9.5% of straight unmarried couples.
The analysis showed more than half of Hawaii’s gay couples are interracial or inter-ethnic. The proportion of gay couples of different races is higher in the south-west, with less than ten percent of gay couples being interracial in Maine, Mississippi, Vermont, West Virginia, New Hampshire and Alabama.
Gary Gates, Williams Distinguished Scholar at UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute said: “This is our first 2010 glimpse of the racial and ethnic compositions of U.S. households headed by couples, including same-sex couples.
“The new Census data help provide a fuller picture of the diversity within the LGBT community.”
The US Census takes place every ten years, with the first having taken place in 1790.
