Posted at 8:32 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 14, 2001

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Census: Same-sex couples skyrocketed nationwide

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of American households reporting same-sex partners skyrocketed over the past decade, according to Census 2000 figures offering fresh confirmation of a turn-of-the-century trend.

Same-sex unmarried partner homes rose in Vermont from an estimated 370 in 1990 to 1,933 in 2000, an increase of over 400 percent, according to data released this week by the Census Bureau. Delaware saw an even greater increase: up more than 700 percent to 1,868 households.

Vermont and Delaware were the first states to receive the latest wave of census data, with all 50 to get the material by late August.

Researchers attributed the increases more to gay couples feeling comfortable with identifying their relationships rather than any big increase in such couples.

Regardless of the reason, Holly Puterbaugh, of South Burlington, Vt., considered it one of the most thorough counts yet of gays and lesbians in this country.

``It's one more way for the recognition of same-sex couples to come about,'' said Puterbaugh, who took part in a civil union ceremony last year in Vermont with her partner of 28 years. ``There are a lot more same-sex couples in this world than most people realize.''

Same-sex couple homes still made up a tiny portion of households, less than 1 percent in either state. Figures to be released for more crowded states like California will give a clearer picture of the nation's gay and lesbian population, said Urban Institute analyst Gary Gates.

Unmarried partner statistics in 1990 were based on a sample of responses; 2000 data were based on a count of all households.

Nationally, unmarried partner homes, regardless of sexual orientation, increased 72 percent from 3.2 million in 1990 to 5.5 million in 2000.

Less than 5 percent of the country's unmarried partner households in 1990 were made up of same-sex couples. Comparable numbers for 2000 will not be known until all state figures are released.

The statistics come from answers to questions posed on census forms including gender and, if two or more people lived in a home, ``What is your relationship?''

The census did not ask about sexuality. However, it did offer ``unmarried partner'' as a way to describe a relationship between two unrelated people living together. Other options included ``housemate'', ``boarder'' and ``other nonrelative.''

If ``unmarried partner'' is checked off on a form, and either two men or two women live in the home, that could suggest a gay or lesbian relationship.

Unlike the approach to previous counts, Human Rights Campaign and other advocacy groups encouraged same-sex live-in partners to identify themselves as such for last year's census.

That attention, along with debate over the Vermont law and increasing social acceptance of gay and lesbian couples during the decade played key roles in increases seen so far, said Paula Ettelbrick of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

``The 1990s have been the decade of the lesbian and gay family in terms of sheer visibility in the American public, couples together being more out and more visible,'' said Ettelbrick, the group's family policy director.

Though the bureau has strict privacy guidelines, some people still were concerned about their responses being kept confidential.

``It's going to contribute to undercounting, but people somehow need to feel affirmed of seeing it on the census,'' said Chris Tebbetts, of Burlington, Vt. He and his partner entered a civil union in Vermont last year.

Vermont's civil unions law - the first of its kind in the country granting marriage benefits to same-sex couples - took effect July 1, 2000, about four months after census forms were mailed out. The unions are not recognized by other states and partners in them have no marriage benefits under federal law.

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-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001