blackcouple

The State of African-American Same-sex Couples

A recent report by the Williams Institute is painting a fuller picture of the African-American family by shedding light on same-sex couples within the community. The report used data derived from the 2010 U.S. census.

Key Findings

  • 3.7% of all African-American adults identify as LGBT and 34% of African-American same-sex couples are raising children.
  • African-American female same-sex couple households have significantly lower income compared to African-American male same-sex couple households (median income: $47,300 vs. $63,020.
  • LGBT African-Americans have higher unemployment rates compared to non-LGBT African-Americans (15% vs. 12%).
  • African-American same-sex couples are less likely to have health insurance coverage for both partners compared to African-American heterosexual couples (63% vs. 79%).

Some of the conclusion drawn from this report were that the wellness of African-American same-sex household is highly dependent on the sex of the couple and whether or not they were raising children. Female couples and couples raising children were shown to encounter more economic struggles compared to male couples and couples not raising children

Adedotun Ogunbajo, Joint Center Graduate Scholar, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health