Female couples taking the lead in same-sex marriage

The conventional view that women embrace commitment more eagerly than men is playing out in the unconventional new world of same-sex matrimony, judging from the growing stack of marriage licenses in Sacramento County.

Based on a tally of the licenses Thursday – using first names as a guide – 60 percent of the same-sex newlyweds this week are lesbians and 40 percent are gay men. Among heterosexual couples – to no one's surprise – the gender breakdown is 50-50.

For academics who study gay and lesbian lifestyles, the preponderance of women marching up the aisle is also no surprise.

n states that offer some kind of legal recognition to same-sex couples, lesbians in committed relationships outnumber gay men by a 2-1 margin, said Gary Gates, a demographer at the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law.

Studies suggest that women pair up more often because they are more likely to have children together. Men, who historically out-earn women, are less likely to partner for economic protection.

"Women want to be married more than men do," said Gates. "The idea of partnering is more attractive to women."

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Sacramento Bee - CA, USA