When Same-Sex Marriage = $248 Million

by Michael Jones · 2009-02-11 20:02:00 UTC
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New JerseyYesterday we wrote about officials in Maine, who were gathering to discuss the potential economic impacts of same-sex marriage.  As the Williams Institute at UCLA estimated, Maine could stand to boost its revenue by $48 million if it recognized marriage equality for all Maine residents.

Add $200 million to that figure, and you get the estimated amount of boosted revenue that the Williams Institute is projecting New Jersey stands to gain if it were to legalize same-sex marriage.  Yup, that's right.  New Jersey could add $248 million to the state's economy just by fostering equality.

Who says that fixing the economy and standing up for civil rights have to be mutually exclusive?

As John Bohrer points out on the Huff Post, this is a great opportunity for New Jersey, especially in the wake of a state economy battered by massive layoffs and huge losses in gambling revenue.  According to Bohrer: "Resident couples and those from out of state would spend, spend, spend.  Especially those from New York, whose wedded status would be recognized by their home state."

Bohrer points out another thing: a bipartisan commission in New Jersey has said that full marriage equality is the only way to guarantee equal rights for gay and lesbian NJ residents.  As the commission put it, civil unions are not enough.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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