Some recognition for gay unions

Following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in New York, 143 million Americans now live in states that offer some level of recognition to same-sex couples – representing 46 percent of the US population.

The figure was announced by the Third Way think tank as an indicator of the change in public opinion in the 15 years since the Defence Of Marriage Act stopping Federal recognition of same-sex couples was passed under the Clinton Administration.

Other indicators cited by Third Way included a doubling in support for same-sex marriage from 27 percent to 53 percent, the number of states offering partner benefits to gay employees rising from two in 1996 to 22 today, and the number of

Fortune 500 companies offering protections and benefits to gay employees and their partners, up from 19 to 291.

The number of Americans who personally know a gay or lesbian person has doubled over a decade and a half from 42 percent in 1992 to 77 percent, as has the number of Americans who know a same-sex couple who are raising a child (29 percent then, and 68 percent now).