UCLA's William's Institutes Releases New Study Analyzing the Economic Impact of Same Sex Marriage in the District of Columbia

Los Angeles - Today the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law released a new research study predicting that same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia would have a positive impact on the local economy, generating $52.2 million in new spending over the next three years. This new spending will generate 700 new jobs and an additional $5.4 million in tax revenues.

Today the D.C. Council voted unanimously to recognize other state’s same-sex marriages.

“Extending marriage rights to same-sex couples would not only provide needed protections to same-sex couples in the District of Columbia, but in these tough economic times, the D.C. economy could get a substantial boost,” explains study co-author Brad Sears, Executive Director of The Williams Institute.

In calculating the net benefit to the District of Columbia, the study predicts that approximately 1,882 D.C. same-sex couples, or almost half of the District’s 3,839 same-sex couples, would marry in the first three years of marriage rights. The study also finds that approximately 12,550 non-resident same-sex couples would come to D.C. to marry over a three year period.

“As recent experiences in California demonstrate, same-sex couples will travel for the right to marry and the District of Columbia is a likely tourist destination for many of those couples,” noted co-author M. V. Lee Badgett, Research Director of the Williams Institute and Director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“Today’s vote constitutes an important first step towards marriage equality, however, D.C. will only receive this economic windfall if it fully legalizes marriage for same-sex couples,” stated study co-author Christopher Ramos.

The Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy advances law and public policy through rigorous, independent research and scholarship, and disseminates its work through a variety of education programs and media to judges, legislators, lawyers, other policy makers and the public.

This study can be accessed at the Williams Institute website,