More same-sex couples
want kids
Survey looks at
trends among homosexuals
Wyatt Buchanan,
SFGate.com from the Web, April 25, 2006
San Francisco, CA --
Two-thirds of lesbians and a third of gay men in the United States plan to add
children to their families over the next three years, according to a marketing
survey to be released this week.
Those numbers have increased dramatically over the past four years, according to
Jeffrey Garber, president of OpusComm Group, which conducted the annual survey
of gays and lesbians with Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public
Communications.
In 2002, just 15 percent of lesbians and 5 percent of gay men told the
researchers they would add children to their families.
"People are saying they're more comfortable with their sexuality, that they have
a right to a life partner. And along with that -- if they have a loving
home -- why not a child?" Garber said.
In the same time period, the proportion of gay people surveyed who reported
being "out" increased from 93 to 97 percent.
Of those surveyed this year, 21 percent of lesbians and 5 percent of gay men
said they currently have a child living at home.
The survey, conducted online, measures demographics, purchasing behaviors, media
consumption and lifestyles of gays and lesbians. About 7,500 people
completed this year's hour-long survey; the survey was first conducted in 2001.
In politics, the survey found that gays and lesbians felt the most important
criterion for candidates was support for same-sex marriage, and 61 percent of
respondents said they always voted for a candidate based on his or her support
of gay and lesbian issues.
On the marketing side, the survey found the most popular airline for gays and
lesbians is American Airlines, the most popular auto manufacturer is Ford --
followed closely by Toyota -- and the most popular beer brand is Bud Light.
The biggest distinction between gay men and lesbians in the survey came in media
consumption, especially television. Of the top five shows watched
regularly by each group, the only overlap was "Will & Grace," which was the most
popular program among gay men. "The L Word" was most popular among
lesbians who were surveyed.
E-mail Wyatt Buchanan at
wbuchanan@sfchronicle.com
|
