TODAY'S SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUG. 23

Breakfast
9:30AM-10:45AM

Breakout Sessions
9:30AM-10:45AM

Breakout Sessions
11:00AM-12:15AM

Lunch Plenary
12:30PM-2:00PM

Breakout Sessions
2:15PM-3:30PM

Closing Session
3:45PM-5:15PM

Authors' Café
3:45PM-5:45PM

Not-So-Silent Auction
6:45PM-8:45PM

View the full schedule here

TODAY'S WEATHER

WHAT IS NLGJA?

Find out more about NLGJA at the official website.

MENTORS

A big thanks to our mentors:

Brett Zongker
The Associated Press

Caroline K. Hauser
The Washington Post

Mark S. Luckie
Entertainment Weekly

Larry M. Shaw
ABC

Dennis M. Powell
ABC

Doug Mitchell
NPR

Glamorous or small, same-sex unions could bring big bucks

by Jenna Oskowitz

Could the advent of legalized same-sex unions in California and other states affect the nation's economy in more ways than a new line of Hallmark cards?

Hallmark and other companies big and small have taken on a more inclusive business formula that is targeting same-sex couples who plan to get married.

"Ever since the legalization of same-sex marriages in Massachusetts and California, we have seen a huge upsurge [in business]," said Gretchen Hamm, a Dallas resident and owner of GayWeddings.com.

GayWeddings.com is an online site that provides products, resources and networking to same-sex couples that seek to affirm their relationships through commitment ceremonies, civil unions, domestic partnerships, civil marriage and other alternatives.

Weddings and ceremonies are by no means cheap. According to a 2006 study done by publisher CondeNast, the average cost of a wedding in the United States is $27,852. In addition to the positive impact on small businesses, many analysts, experts and activists point to the strengthening of the economy by allowing same-sex unions.

With California, the country's most populous state, legalizing same-sex marriage, many predict it will see an economic boost over the next three years.

Studies by the Williams Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles have found that the state and local governments will see revenue increases of more than $63.8 million after the first three years of legalization.

The institute estimates that more than 51,000 local couples and 67,000 out-of-state couples will come to the state to marry.

"People are getting married every other weekend," said David Steinberg, a San Francisco resident and NLGJA incoming president. "There is a backlog of people who have been together for a really long time that are rushing to get married before the November initiative."

That potential storm cloud threatens the celebrations in California. In November, the state's voters will head to the polls to decide whether Proposition 8 should become law. The measure, if passed, would outlaw same-sex marriage.

In addition to the monetary benefits California will receive over the next three years if Proposition 8 passes, more than 2,000 jobs are expected to be created and sustained, according to the Williams Institute.

In Massachusetts, the signs are similar.

Over a three-year period, Massachusetts' economy is predicted to see a $111 million boost as well as the creation of 330 permanent jobs.

Massachusetts has gained a reputation as a more tolerant place in part due to its acceptance of same-sex unions.

"The economic boost comes to communities and states who don't discriminate," said Evan Wolfson, executive director of FreedomToMarry.org.

"The boost will not just be from the wedding industry," Wolfson said.

He said it will create strong, stable families who do not have to rely on the safety net of the government.

Voters in a number of other states appear increasingly tolerant of accepting legalized same-sex unions. For example, in New Jersey, a recent Zogby poll found that 59 percent of that state's residents would be fine with public officials allowing same-sex marriage.
Sixty-nine percent said marriage equality is inevitable.

The Williams Institute noted that the Garden State would reap economic benefits as well.
Extending marriage to same-sex couples in New Jersey would boost the state and local government revenues by $19 million while creating and sustaining 800 new jobs for residents, the institute estimated.

In California, since same-sex marriage was officially recognized as legal, the actual number of couples registering has not been measured. The state's marriage license bureau recently changed application forms to say Party A and Party B, so "there has been no way to identify the actual number of same-sex marriages yet," said M.V. Lee Badgett, economist and professor at UCLA.

"To find the economic effect will take a lot of heavy lifting," Badgett said.
Some skeptics and opponents of same-sex marriage argue that legalization will have a negative effect on certain aspects of the economy. For example, some worry about increased insurance premiums.

Badgett says such impact would be minimal. "Small employers are not affected because the number of new couples signing up for insurance is low," she said. It also will not affect many large companies that already cover domestic partnerships.