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An estimated 1,018,700 or 3.7 percent of African-American adults consider themselves lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) and 34 percent of African-American same-sex couples are raising children. Currently, the estimated 84,000 African-American individuals in same-sex couples tend to live in areas where there are higher proportions of African-Americans. For example, a quarter of African-American same-sex couples live in Georgia, New York, North Carolina, and Maryland. The report finds overall higher unemployment rates (15 percent v. 12 percent) and lower proportions with a college degree (23 percent v. 26 percent) among LGBT African-Americans, when compared to their non-LGBT counterparts. However, these disadvantages are not present among African-Americans in same-sex couples. Twenty-five percent of African-Americans in same-sex couples have completed a college degree, compared to 22 percent of African-Americans in different-sex couples. In addition, 71 percent of African-Americans in same-sex couples are employed compared to 68 percent of their counterparts in different-sex couples. LGBT African-Americans are also less likely than their non-LGBT counterparts to have health insurance. African-American same-sex couples raising children, report household median incomes $15,000 lower than comparable African-American different-sex couples ($47,300 vs. $63,020). Female African-American same-sex couples, which comprise 58 percent of all African-American same-sex couples, earn over $20,000 less than male African-American same-sex couples. LGBT African-American females and African-American females in same-sex couples are three times more likely to report military service than their non-LGBT counterparts.

Much recent research on sexual minorities has used couples-based samples, which—by construction—provide no information on nonpartnered individuals. We present the first systematic empirical analysis of partnership and cohabitation among self-identified gay men and lesbians using two independent, large, population-wwbased data sources from California. These data indicate that 37%–46% of gay men and 51%–62% of lesbians aged 18–59 are in cohabiting partnerships (compared with 62% of heterosexual individuals in coresidential unions at comparable ages). Unlike previous research, we find that white and highly educated gay men and lesbians are more likely to be partnered, and we confirm that same-sex cohabiting partners in our data have demographic characteristics that are similar to California same-sex couples from Census 2000. We also present the first detailed analysis of officially registered domestic partnerships in California. We find that almost half of partnered lesbians are officially registered with the local or state government, while less than a quarter of partnered gay men are officially registered. We conclude with implications of our findings for couples-based research on gay men and lesbians, as well as recommendations for survey data collection.

Using data from Census 2000, this report provides demographic and socio-economic information about Asians and Pacific Islanders in same-sex couples in California. In this report, the category "API couples" means couples where both members are Asian or Pacific Islander; "inter-ethnic couples" means couples where only one member is Asian or Pacific Islander; and "non-API couples" indicates couples where neither member is Asian or Pacific Islander. ASIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN SAME-SEX COUPLES IN CALIFORNIA In California, more than 13,000 Asian/Pacific Islanders identified themselves as living with a same-sex partner in Census 2000. They constitute over one-third of the 38,200 Asian/Pacific Islanders in same-sex couples identified in the U.S., more than in any other state. Over seven percent of the individuals in same-sex couples in California are Asian/Pacific Islander and nearly one out of ten of California's same-sex couples include at least one API individual (due to inter-ethnic couples). San Francisco County has the highest rate of API same-sex couples (API householder) (2.2 per 1,000 households), while Los Angeles County has the largest number of API same-sex couples (1,929). Twenty-eight percent of California API same-sex partners report Filipino heritage. Sizable proportions of API same-sex partners are also of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Asian Indian, Cambodian, and Taiwanese origin. In California, API same-sex couples are more likely to live in counties with high percentages of Asian/Pacific Islanders in the population than in counties with high percentages of samesex couples in the population. The demographic and socio-economic profile of Asian/Pacific Islanders in same-sex couples is more similar to Asian/Pacific Islanders in different-sex couples than it is to non-APIs in same-sex couples. They differ little from Asian/Pacific Islanders in different-sex couples in terms of citizenship, military service, income, education, rates of public assistance, and rates of employment. Compared with non-APIs in same-sex couples in California, Asian/Pacific Islanders are less likely to be employed (67% v. 71%) and to be U.S. citizens (73% v. 86%). In addition, they have annual individual incomes that are more than $7,500 less than non-APIs in same-sex couples.

Objective. This research explores the seldom-addressed question of whether teacher-student racial congruence conditions the impact of teacher perceptions on performance. Methods. Multipopulation LISREL models (utilizing data from the NELS) compare the effect of white teachers' perceptions on African-American standardized test performance to the corresponding effect among white students. Parallel models compare the impact of African-American teacher perceptions across races. Preliminary models gauge whether the match/mismatch of teacher's and student's race shapes teacher perceptions of African-American and white students.Results. The impact of teachers' perceptions on test performance shows signs of being especially pronounced in the racially dissonant whiteteacher-black student context - the very context where teacher perceptions seem especially likely to be unfavorable. Conclusions. This research provides new insight on the relevance of teacher perceptions to the black-white performance gap. Racial congruence seems primarily consequential to African-American test performance - shaping both teacher perceptions and (somewhat less so) the impact of such perceptions on performance. (Original abstract)

House Bills 4188, 4189, and 4190 are proposed by members of the Michigan Legislature and would allow agencies licensed to make foster care or adoption placement decisions in the state of Michigan to do so in accordance with their own sincerely-held religious beliefs. If enacted, the state would be prohibited from denying or revoking a license based on the failure to comply with rules if the agency cites a religious or moral objection to the rules in a written policy or statement of faith. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and same-sex couples could be among the potential foster or adoptive parents for whom placements could be refused under this proposed legislation. This memo provides estimates for the number of children being raised by LGB individuals and same-sex couples in Michigan, along with estimates of the potential fiscal implications if these bills cause children to stay longer in the foster care system rather than being placed for adoption.

CSHB 3864, if enacted, would allow agencies licensed to make foster care or adoption placement decisions in the state of Texas to do so in accordance with their own sincerely-held religious beliefs. The state would be prohibited from denying or revoking a license based on the failure to comply with rules if the agency cites a religious or moral objection to the rules. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and same-sex couples could be among the potential foster or adoptive parents for whom placements could be refused under this proposed legislation. This memo provides estimates for the number of children being raised by LGB individuals and same-sex couples in Texas, along with estimates of the potential fiscal implications if this bill causes children to stay longer in the foster care system rather than being placed for adoption.

A large social science literature documents partnership rates and correlates of partnership among heterosexual individuals. This paper presents the first systematic empirical analysis of partnership, cohabitation, and official "domestic partner" registrations among self-identified gay men and lesbians using four independent, large, population based data sources, mostly in California. The data indicate that 30-45 percent of gay men are in a cohabiting partnership, while about 50-60 percent of lesbians are partnered. Across the four samples, white and highly educated gay men and lesbians are more likely to be partnered. We also find that almost half of partnered lesbians report being registered officially with the government, while fewer than a quarter of partnered gay men are registered. Of partnered gay men and lesbians, those who officially registered report longer relationship durations and are more likely to have ever been legally married. Overall, our results advance the literature on the determinants of household formation and provide the first estimates of factors associated with being officially registered in a same-sex domestic partnership.

AbstractThis study examined the health consequences for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations of exposure to communities with relatively high versus low levels of support for same‐sex marriage. We used data from the Gallup Daily tracking survey, the largest probability‐based sample of LGBT‐identified adults in the United States (N= 11,949 LGBT respondents;N= 352,343 non‐LGBT respondents), which was linked to attitudinal responses on same‐sex marriage obtained from the 2012 Cooperative Congressional Election Survey (N= 54,535). Controlling for potential confounders, higher levels of local approval of same‐sex marriage lowered the probability that LGBT (and non‐LGBT) individuals reported smoking and fair/poor self‐rated health; further, LGBT disparities in smoking were lower in communities where residents were most likely to support same‐sex marriage. Findings suggest that local attitudes may be related to the health of LGBT individuals and contribute to sexual orientation health disparities, providing further evidence for the role of structural stigma in shaping LGBT health.

Discussion and debate about adoption and foster care by gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) parents occurs frequently among child welfare policymakers, social service agencies, and social workers. They all need better information about GLB adoptive and foster parents and their children as they make individual and policy-level decisions about placement of children with GLB parents. This report provides new information on GLB adoption and foster care from the U.S. Census 2000, the National Survey of Family Growth (2002), and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (2004). Currently half a million children live in foster care in the United States and more than 100,000 foster children await adoption. States must recruit parents who are interested and able to foster and adopt children. Three states currently restrict GLB individuals or couples from adopting. Several states have or are considering policies that would restrict GLB people from fostering. Recent government surveys demonstrate that many lesbians and gay men are already raising children, and many more GLB people would like to have children at some point. We estimate that two million GLB people have considered adoption. Since prior research shows that less than one-fifth of adoption agencies attempt to recruit adoptive parents from the GLB community, our findings suggest that GLB people are an underutilized pool of potential adoptive parents. The report provides estimates of the number of adopted and fostered children of lesbians and gay men and describes the demographic characteristics of parents and children. We compare gay and lesbian parents and their adopted and fostered children to parents and children in other family arrangements, including married and unmarried different-sex couples and single parents (who might be heterosexual or GLB). While GLB parents are similar in many ways to other kinds of parents, we identify several differences in the key findings below. The report concludes with an assessment of how proposed bans on allowing GLB individuals and couples to foster might affect foster care systems and fostered children. We estimate the possible financial cost to states if they were to limit or deny GLB people the ability to foster, which could displace 9,000 to 14,000 children if pursued nationally. And while we cannot measure costs to children directly, we explore prior research suggesting that displacing children from their current foster homes may have harmful effects on the children's development and well-being. The report closes with implications of this research for policymakers. Key Findings • More than one in three lesbians have given birth and one in six gay men have fathered or adopted a child. • More than half of gay men and 41 percent of lesbians want to have a child. • An estimated two million GLB people are interested in adopting. • An estimated 65,500 adopted children are living with a lesbian or gay parent. • More than 16,000 adopted children are living with lesbian and gay parents in California, the highest number among the states. • Gay and lesbian parents are raising four percent of all adopted children in the United States. • Same-sex couples raising adopted children are older, more educated, and have more economic resources than other adoptive parents. • Adopted children with same-sex parents are younger and more likely to be foreign born. • An estimated 14,100 foster children are living with lesbian or gay parents. • Gay and lesbian parents are raising three percent of foster children in the United States. • A national ban on GLB foster care could cost from $87 to $130 million. • Costs to individual states could range from $100,000 to $27 million.

This provocative collection showcases the work of emerging and established sociologists in the fields of sexuality and gender studies as they reflect on what it means to develop, practice, and teach queer methods. Located within the critical conversation about the possibilities and challenges of utilizing insights from humanistic queer epistemologies in social scientific research, Other, Please Specify presents to a new generation of researchers an array of experiences, insights, and approaches, revealing the power of investigations of the social world. With contributions from sociologists who have helped define queer studies and who use a range of interpretative and statistical methods, this volume offers methodological advice and practical strategies in research design and execution, all with the intent of getting queer research off the ground and building a collaborative community within this emerging subfield