Marriage Equality an Economic Boon

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Same-sex weddings are pouring billions into the economy, says the Williams Institute, a UCLA think tank.

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

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Trudy Ring

December 13 2014 8:45 AM EST

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New research from the Williams Institute indicates that same-sex couples are not only taking the freedom to marry seriously -- they're benefiting the economy by doing so.

A report released Friday by the institute, a think tank on the law and sexual orientation based at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, estimates that the nationwide economic boost from same-sex weddings could be as large as $2.6 billion.

"Same-sex couples and their out-of-town guests spend money to celebrate weddings," said Williams researcher M.V. Lee Badgett in a press release. "As we have seen in states that already extend marriage to same-sex couples, this spending boost can lead to an influx of tourism dollars that benefit local businesses and an increase in state and local tax revenue."

States without marriage equality are getting left behind -- they're missing out on up to $750 million, according to the institute. Check out your state using an interactive map here.