US: Pennsylvania will make $92 million extra through legalising same-sex marriage
According to a new study, through legalising same-sex marriage, the US state of Pennsylvania will make an extra $92,1 million (£55 million) in the first three years.
The results of the Williams Institute study, the money will be brought in by same-sex marriage to the state and local economy.
It was based on census results from 2010 that there were 22,336 same-sex coupes living in the state, and an estimate that between 7,490 and 11,168 of those couples would choose to marry within three years of same-sex marriage becoming law.
The estimates were based on the experience of other states such as Massachusetts, which have already legalised same-sex marriage. The study noted that more than half of gay and lesbian couples married in the first three years of same-sex marriage being legal there.
It states that the money would be generated through direct wedding spending and wedding-related tourism, with an average spend of $6,468 (£3,800) per wedding.
As well as the revenue, it is estimated that between 812 and 1,142 full and part time jobs would be created.
Dozens of gay and lesbian couples in the US state of Pennsylvania rushed this week to obtain marriage licences, as a judge struck down its same-sex marriage ban.
There is a three-day waiting period for marriage there, so despite there being no defence of the ban, weddings won’t start there until Friday.
