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Economic Benefits of Same Sex Marriage

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Submitted By mnbooklady
Words 2007
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Problem Identification: Marriage is defined as, “a complex set of personal values, social norms, religious customs, and legal constraints that regulate a particular intimate human relation over a lifespan” (Allen, 2006). In a society where the stigma of being gay, lesbian or transgendered is great, the concept of same-sex marriage has an even greater stigma. I theorize that by legalizing same sex marriage, the economy will be affected positively. We will consider how gay friendly business practices increase sales, how same-sex marriage affects the economy of our state and nation, and how overcoming the objections of same-sex marriage will benefit us all.

Background: Older generations are afraid of concepts that are newer to them or that aren’t considered “traditional.” A recent CNN/Gallup poll showed that approximately 53% of Americans approve of same-sex marriage in the United States, which is the highest amount of approval that there has ever been. Within the state of Minnesota, there are, “… 9,147 same-sex households with nearly 4,000 of those located in Hennepin County” (Dziengel, 2010). With such a large concentration of same-sex households, Minneapolis (Hennepin County) has been considered a mecca of same-sex friendly businesses and people. Travel Channel has listed the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area as one of the top 10 gayest cities in the United States, putting us in direct comparison with such cities as Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. There have been several companies that have made a stance in favor of same-sex marriage and the economic value that such unions bring with them. Companies such as Target, which is based in Minneapolis; Wal-Mart; and Walgreens have researched the benefits of gay marriage and have found that while traditional marriages are the “bread and butter” for retailers, gay couples are

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