Mark Krikorian was surprised to learn on Thursday that labor unions are lobbying in support of marriage equality in Maryland. In his National Review Online post, he wrote that the reason it “seems improbable is that until recently, American organized labor, while misguided on many economic questions, was deeply traditionalist.” He concluded that unions are now supporting marriage equality only because “the unions no longer represent many workers.”
But what Krikorian has apparently failed to understand is that marriage equality has many economic benefits. The Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law argues that marriage equality creates jobs. It also estimated that in the first year same-sex marriage was legalized in six states, wedding spending from those marriages totaled at least $249 million:
Forbes estimated in 2004 that if laws were changed to legalize same-sex marriage in the entire United States, the wedding industry would see “a short-term gain of prodigious proportions” and eventually provide a nearly $17 billion boost to the economy over time. In another estimate, San Francisco's chief economist stated in 2010 that the “annual wedding-related spending would rise by $35 million in San Francisco, with an additional $2.7 million in hotel spending, if same-sex marriage were legal.”
Business groups and leaders have also expressed support for marriage equality due to its economic benefits. The executive director of the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce in New Hampshire praised the economic potential of civil unions in December 2007. The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce argued that marriage equality in California “would improve the business climate” and would enhance “the ability of California businesses to compete nationwide for top talent.”
In April 2011, top New York business leaders urged the state to adopt marriage equality “to remain competitive” and “attract top talent.” A few months later, more than 75 business leaders in North Carolina signed an open letter opposing a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages “because of the significant harm it will cause our state's pro-business environment, its major employers, and efforts to spur job-creation in North Carolina.”
The lack of same-sex marriage recognition has been shown to be costly to workers as well. As CNNMoney reported last week, same-sex couples “are paying as much as $6,000 a year in extra taxes because the federal government doesn't recognize gay marriage.”