The Economic Impact of Extending Marriage to Same-Sex Couples in Maine

This research study estimates that same-sex marriage in Maine, if permitted, would have a positive impact on the state's economy and budget. The study finds that same-sex weddings and associated tourism would generate $60 million in additional spending in Maine over three years, creating 1,000 new jobs. Due to this spending, the state and Maine counties would see an increase of$3.6 million in revenues over the next three years; the result of an increase of sales tax revenues of approximately $3.1 million and new marriage license fees of$500,000. In calculating the net benefit to the State, the study approximates that half of Maine's 4,644 same-sex couples, or 2,316 couples, would marry in the first three years that marriage is extended to them. The study also estimates that approximately 15,657 same-sex couples from other states would come to Maine to marry

Evidence of Employment Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Complaints Filed with State Enforcement Agencies, 1999-2007

To more accurately measure the effect of anti-discrimination laws, this report compares sex, race, and sexual orientation complaint rates through a population-adjusted model. Today, twenty states and the District of Columbia prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Of those, thirteen also prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity. An aggregation of all available state level data reveals that sexual orientation discrimination laws are used at similar frequencies by Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) workers as sex discrimination laws by female workers, both at 5 complaints per every 10,000 workers. Race complaints are filed at the higher rate of 7 per 10,000 workers

The Impact on Maine's Budget of Allowing Same-Sex Couples to Marry

This analysis estimates the impact of allowing same-sex couples to marry on Maine's state budget. We estimate that allowing same-sex couples to marry will result in a net gain of approximately $7.9 million each year for the State. This net impact will be the result of savings in expenditures on state means-tested public benefits programs and an increase in revenue from state sales and income taxes and marriage license fees. Throughout this report, we estimate the economic impact of weddings conservatively. In other words, we choose assumptions that are cautious from the State's perspective in that they tend to produce lower revenues and higher expenditures given the range of possibilities. Even so, we find that the effect of allowing same-sex couples to marry in Maine is an annual positive fiscal impact of approximately$7.9 million

The Impact on Maryland\u27s Budget of Allowing Same-Sex Couples to Marry

This analysis estimates the potential impact of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples on Maryland’s state budget. Drawing on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Maryland statistical reports, we estimate that extending marriage rights to same-sex couples would result in a net gain of approximately $3.2 million each year. This net gain is attributable to savings in expenditures on meanstested public benefit programs and an increase in sales and lodging tax revenue from weddings and wedding-related tourism

Bias in the Workplace: Consistent Evidence of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination 1998-2008

This article summarizes social science data published during the past decade documenting discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in employment. Over the last ten years, many researchers have conducted studies to find out whether LGBT people face sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace. These studies include surveys of LGBT individuals\u27 workplace experiences, wage comparisons between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual persons, analyses of discrimination complaints filed with administrative agencies, and testing studies and controlled experiments

Evidence of Persistent and Pervasive Workplace Discrimination Against LGBT People: The Need for Federal Legislation Prohibiting Discrimination and Providing for Equal Employment Benefits

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people have experienced a long and pervasive history of employment discrimination. Today, more than eight million people in the American workforce identify as LGBT, but there still is no federal law that explicitly prohibits sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination against them. This Article begins by surveying the social science research and other evidence illustrating the nature and scope of the discrimination against LGBT workers and the harmful effects of this discrimination on both employees and employers. It then analyzes the existing legal protections against this discrimination, which include constitutional protections for public sector workers, court interpretations of Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination, state and local antidiscrimination laws, and corporate policies. This Article determines that, while these laws and policies provide important protection, the current system is incomplete, confusing, and inadequate. This Article next considers empirical research showing that employers do not offer employees with a same-sex spouse or partner the same access to family benefits that they offer to employees with a different-sex spouse, and it examines court decisions finding that a denial of equal benefits is unlawful employment discrimination. Based on this research and legal analysis, the Article concludes that a federal law like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill pending in Congress that would prohibit sexual orientation and gender identity employment discrimination, is needed. To serve its purpose consistently, however, the bill’s current exemption of employee benefits should be removed. To be sure, ending all forms of unequal treatment based on sexual orientation or gender identity is warranted and feasible, and doing so will have positive effects for both employees and employers

Bias in the workplace: consistent evidence of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination 1998-2008.

Executive Summary Over the last ten years, many researchers have conducted studies to find out whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ("LGBT") people face sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace. These studies include surveys of LGBT individuals' workplace experiences, wage comparisons between LGB and heterosexual persons, analyses of discrimination complaints filed with administrative agencies, and testing studies and controlled experiments. This report summarizes findings from these studies. When surveyed, 16% to 68% of LGBT people report experiencing employment discrimination. Studies conducted from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s revealed that 16% to 68% of LGB respondents reported experiencing employment discrimination at some point in their lives. Since the mid-1990s, an additional fifteen studies found that 15% to 43% of LGB respondents experienced discrimination in the workplace. When asked more specific questions about the type of discrimination experienced, LGB respondents reported the following experiences that were related to their sexual orientation: 8%-17% were fired or denied employment, 10%-28% were denied a promotion or given negative performance evaluations, 7%-41% were verbally/physically abused or had their workplace vandalized, and 10%-19% reported receiving unequal pay or benefits. Fifteen to 57% of transgender people also report experiencing employment discrimination. When transgender individuals were surveyed separately, they reported similar or higher levels of employment discrimination. In six studies conducted between 1996 and 2006, 20% to 57% of transgender respondents reported having experienced employment discrimination at some point in their life. More specifically, 13%-56% were fired, 13%-47% were denied employment, 22%-31% were harassed, and 19% were denied a promotion based on their gender identity. When surveyed, many heterosexual co-workers report witnessing sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace. A small number of researchers have also asked heterosexuals whether they have witnessed discrimination against their LGB peers. These studies revealed that 12% to 30% of respondents in certain occupations, such as the legal profession, have witnessed antigay discrimination in employment. In states that currently prohibit sexual orientation discrimination, LGB people file complaints of employment discrimination at similar rates to women and racial minorities. Individual complaints of discrimination filed with government agencies provide another measure of perceived discrimination. The General Accounting Office (or "GAO", now known as the Government Accountability Office) collected the number of complaints filed in states that outlaw sexual orientation discrimination and found that 1% of all discrimination complaints related to sexual orientation. However, comparisons of data from ten states show that the rate of sexual orientation discrimination complaints per GLB person is 3 per 10,000, which is roughly equivalent to gender-based discrimination complaints. Gender v. Sexual Orientation Raw Data Population-Adjusted Data Gay men earn 10% to 32% less than similarly qualified heterosexual men. A wage or income gap between LGB people and heterosexual people with the same job and personal characteristics provides another indicator of sexual orientation discrimination. A growing number of studies using data from the National Health and Social Life Survey ("NHSLS"), the General Social Survey ("GSS"), the United States Census, and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ("NHANES III") show that gay men earn 10% to 32% less than otherwise similar heterosexual men. The findings for lesbians, however, are less clear. In some studies they earn more than heterosexual women but less than heterosexual or gay men. Transgender people report high rates of unemployment and very low earnings. While no detailed wage and income analyses of the transgender population have been conducted to date, convenience samples of the transgender population find that 6%-60% of respondents report being unemployed, and 22-64% of the employed population earns less than $25,000 per year. Controlled experiments reveal sexual orientation discrimination in workplace settings. In controlled experiments, researchers manufacture scenarios that allow comparisons of the treatment of LGB people with treatment of heterosexuals. Seven out of eight studies using controlled experiments related to employment and public accommodation find evidence of sexual orientation discrimination. Despite the variations in methodology, context, and time period in the studies reviewed in this report, our review of the evidence demonstrates one disturbing and consistent pattern: sexual orientation-based and gender identity discrimination is a common occurrence in many workplaces across the country. Bias in the Workplace: Consistent Evidence of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination Over the last ten years, academic researchers in economics, sociology, psychology, and other social sciences have conducted research to find out whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ("LGBT") people face employment discrimination. Government and community organizations have also conducted such research. With increasing frequency, policymakers at the federal, state, and local level are considering the rates of employment discrimination as they consider laws that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In this report we summarize the findings of research about employment discrimination against LGBT people from four different kinds of studies. Surveys of LGBT people's experiences with workplace discrimination These studies routinely show that considerable numbers of LGBT people believe they have been discriminated against in the workplace. These studies also show that heterosexuals perceive discrimination against their LGB peers. Because these studies tend to focus on particular occupations, population groups, or geographic areas, the rates of perceived discrimination vary considerably across their findings. Analyses of employment discrimination complaints filed with government agencies Thus far, there has been one published study on the number of sexual orientation discrimination complaints filed with government agencies. Although the raw number of complaints is small, the rate of complaints per 10,000 LGB people is comparable to the rate of sex discrimination complaints per 10,000 women. Analyses of wage differentials between LGBT and heterosexual persons Employment discrimination often translates into lower earnings. Wage analyses consistently show that gay men earn 10% to 32% less than heterosexual men. The findings on lesbians' earnings are less consistent. While less data is available about the incomes of transgender people in comparison with non-transgender people, a number of surveys have found high unemployment rates and low income levels for transgender people. Controlled experiments A new and expanding line of research involves experiments that control conditions to test whether LGB people experience differences in treatment when compared with identical heterosexual people. These studies find that LGB and heterosexual persons are subject to disparate treatment. The remainder of this report describes the studies' methods and findings. The methodologies used and contexts studied vary considerably and limit our ability to generalize findings to all locations, occupations, or economic contexts. Also, the limitations of the methods mean that we cannot say how likely a LGBT person would be to experience employment discrimination. Despite these caveats, the review does demonstrate a consistent pattern: there is ample evidence that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination against LGBT people occurs in many workplaces across the country