The September 11 Oregonian reported that the state Center for Health Statistics analyzed 2,968 same-sex marriages (SSMs) registered with the state (those performed in March and April 2004) and compared them to the 11,004 M-F marriages that took place in Oregon in the first six months of 2004. The report included some interesting statistics.
First, the same-sex spouses were older, 42 on average, compared to 35 for grooms and 32 for brides in M-F marriages. Second, the same-sex spouses were better-educated; in more than 70% of the SSMs at least one partner had a four-year college degree, compared to 36% of the M-F marriages.
71% of the SSMs were between women, and 29% between men. Why? The report doesn’t speculate. Either there are twice as many lesbian couples as gay male couples, or women are more likely to commit than are men. It’s a commonplace in the advice columns that the woman wants to get married, but the man isn’t ready; perhaps that trait is common to straight and gay alike.
The fact that sparks today’s comment is that in only 7% of the M-F marriages, but in 30% of the SSMs, Oregon was a marriage destination, with neither partner living in Oregon. If gay marriage is upheld, this gives our state tourism office a unique marketing opportunity for both straight and gay couples: come to Oregon for the marriage now, and in old age return for the physician-assisted suicide. Unfortunately we can’t offer any jobs to fill the years in between, but we never claimed to be perfect.