Despite the arguments against equal marriage, legalizing the marriage of same-sex couples has had no negative impact on the rates of that among different-sex couples.
In fact, while there was no effect on the rates of marriage or divorce among different-sex couples, legalizing same-sex nuptials has led to a slight increase in marriage rates overall. This is according to a new report from nonprofit research organization RAND and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Legalizing same-sex marriage has also resulted in several positive impacts on society; these include improved physical health of LGBTQ+ individuals in those states, fewer hate crimes, and increased state-level adoption rates after marriage.
"Some of those who opposed the granting of marriage rights to same-sex couples predicted that doing so would undermine the institution of marriage, resulting in fewer couples marrying, more couples divorcing and an overall retreat from family formation," study co-author Benjamin R. Karney, a UCLA psychology professor and adjunct researcher at RAND, said in a statement. "Overall, the fears of opponents of same-sex marriage simply have not come to pass."
Before nationwide legalization, the legal status of same-sex marriage in the U.S. varied significantly by state. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in May 2004, following a state Supreme Court ruling. Over the next decade, several other states followed suit, either through court decisions, legislative action, or voter referendums. In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples could marry nationwide.
The researchers analyzed the results of nearly 100 studies investigating the impacts of same-sex marriage. They found that, after states legalized it, marriage rates increased at a greater rate than could be explained by only same-sex ones.
New marriages increased by between 1 and 2 percent among different-sex couples, and about 10 percent across all couples.
"We find no evidence for a retreat from marriage," study co-author Melanie A. Zaber, a RAND economist, said in the statement. "In fact, there is evidence suggesting that by extending marriage rights to a greater number of couples, interest in marriage increased. And that finding isn't limited to same-sex couples—this is also true for the broader population."
Additionally, there were no declines in the rates of marriage of different-sex couples—as suggested by opponents of equal marriage—nor was there any increase in the rates of divorce of different-sex couples.
The report also found that, in states where same-sex marriage had been legalized, there was a drop in state-level rates of syphilis, HIV, and AIDS. Same-sex households also experienced higher rates of homeownership and higher earnings, and adopted more children.
The report additionally found that there was a drop in sexual orientation-motivated hate crimes and employment discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as no negative changes in public opinion toward same-sex couples.
"The only changes we detect are suggestive of a renewed salience of marriage among the broader public," Zaber said. "There is no empirical basis for concerns that allowing same-sex couples to marry has negatively affected different-sex couples and families."
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