Filler: Fighting gay marriage is fighting job creation
Patrick Plain, left, and Seong Man Hong, both of New York, celebrate after getting married at the City Clerk's office in New York. Credit: AP, 2011
Finally, an argument for same-sex marriage that staunch conservatives might be forced to listen to: It turns out that battling gay nuptials is a job killer.
A study released this week by the City of New York says that gay weddings conducted there since the state legalized same-sex marriage in July 2011 have brought about $260 million in spending to the city. At least 8,200 same-sex marriage licenses have been issued in the Big Apple, accounting for more than 10 percent of marriage licenses.
On average, the gay couples spent about $9,000 on their happy day and their guests dropped another $12,000.
Over time, many conservatives who fought legalized gambling in their own states have been convinced to change their minds because of the gambling dollars flowing across state lines to places where wagering is legal. Could we soon see politicians in states neighboring the eight in which same-sex marriage is legal (and the District of Columbia) demanding legalization at home so that gay wedding dollars stay in state?
The idea that states should have any role in certifying people's romantic relationships is, to me, a terrible one. I believe in marriage (probably a lot more than my wife does, almost 12 years into the experiment) but I don't see the need for government involvement.
That said, if government is going to certify marriages between any two consenting adults, it ought to certify all such unions.
And conservatives who've been opposing this need to start supporting same sex marriage--and creating jobs.
Pictured above: Patrick Plain, left, and Seong Man Hong, both of New York, celebrate after getting married at the City Clerk's office in New York.
