Marriage Equality, Effects on Well-Being and Relationships

With the U.S. Supreme Court having recently declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, social scientists are increasingly focusing their attention on the effects of marriage equality on those most directly affected: same-sex partners and any children they have. While the available studies addressing issues related to marriage equality are still few, mostly exploratory in nature, and complicated by methodological limitations, the [Page 733]evidence they provide offers some preliminary answers to inquiries about the potential benefits and costs of the expansion of legal rights for persons in same-sex relationships. In doing so, this small but growing body of work makes an important and timely contribution to the study of LGBTQ people and their family and personal relationships.

In a few instances, researchers have been able ...