This research brief analyzes geographic trends among same-sex couples using the 1990 and 2000 United States decennial census enumerations along with data from the 2002 through 2006 American Community Surveys.

The news that same-sex couples lived in nearly every county of the United States marked one of most reported on statistics from the release of Census 2000 data. Since then, policy debates focusing on marriage and partnership rights for same-sex couples have led academics and policy-makers alike to use these data in hopes of gaining a more complete and accurate understanding of this population (e.g., Gates and Ost 2004; Congressional Budget Office 2004; Badgett and Sears 2005). The release of new data from the American Community Survey (ACS) this month offers the first opportunity to update what we have learned and to assess possible changes in the geographic and demographic characteristics of same-sex couples.

This research brief quantifies how the United States military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy affects retention rates among lesbian, gay, and bisexual military personnel. If the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy had not been instituted, an estimated 4,000 lesbian, gay, and bisexual military personnel would have been retained each year since 1994. The military intends to add more than 18,000 new troops each year for the next five years. If patterns observed in 2004 were to continue for the next five years, the estimated retained LGB personnel would account for nearly one in six of the additional troops required.