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£ PAGE 4 ▼ Q-Notes ▼ June 10, 2000 Study says supposed affluence of gays and lesbians is a myth by David Elliot Special to Q-Notes WASHINGTON, DC—A report in the May issue of Demography on income levels among same-sex partners further refutes the myth of “gay affluence,” a misconception that has been used to stereotype and discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people. In 1998, the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies (IGLSS) issued a joint study entitled “Income Inflation: The Myth of Affluence Among Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Americans.” Many of their findings were confirmed in the Demography report — conducted by four academicians in a separate, independent study. “As the real outline of economic life for gay, lesbian and bisexual people becomes more de fined through these studies, we see that stereo types portraying our communities as only rich are distorted,” said Ingrid Rivera-Dessuit, co ordinator of NGLTF’s Racial and Economic Justice Initiative. “While the myth of affluence helps our com- muniries gain the attention of powerful corpo rations, the real dangers lie in how the myths skew the political priorities of the movement and hurt our ability to advocate on issues of economic justice. “Income Inflation” suggested that discrimi nation based on sexual orientation may con tribute to the fact that gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans earn less averall than their hetero sexual counterparts. “Despite popular myths, this information is not surprising given the high level of discrimi nation experienced by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, who come from all sectors of society, without regard to economic status, and experience discrimination that may at times affect their earning power,” the report con cluded. Rivera-Dessuit pointed out that assumptions of disproportionate income among GLBT people have found their way into the courts in crucial civil rights challenges such as the Colo rado Amendment 2 case that went before the US Supreme Court. In that case. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia cited misused market research statistics on gay and lesbian people when he wrote that “high disposable income” gave gay people “dis proportionate political power” and that Colo rado voters should be permitted to rein in that power by banning anti-discrimination protec tions for GLB residents. Scalia’s dissenting opin ion in the case was joined by Chief Justice Wil liam Rehnquist and Justice Clarence Thomas. Even when social science data provides a more accurate sketch of economic life for gay, lesbian and bisexual people, it is argued that same-sex couples, even with lower individual earnings, would still have more discretionary income than a heterosexual couple. “The stereotype of gay or lesbian couples as ‘DINKS’ (‘dual-income-no-kids’) involves two assumptions,” wrote “Income Inflation” author M.V. Lee Badgett, an economist at the Univer sity of Massachusetts. “First, that same-sex couples will have higher incomes than married couples, and second, that lesbian and gay men have no children.” Further research on household incomes of same-sex couples by Badgett has demonstrated that heterosexual-couple households and male same-sex-couple households have roughly equal incomes, however female same-sex couples bring home 18 to 20 percent less. The economic picture for female same-sex households becomes more grim when it is fac tored in that at least 22 percent of lesbian couples have children, as reported by the De mography article. Other highlights from “Income Inflation” — many of which are echoed in the Demogra phy report — include: • Gay men who work full-time earn as much as 27 percent less than heterosexual men in MY NEW CABARET & SHOW BAR LOCATED MOVING MY SHOWCAST & CLIENTELE TO THEfFORf SALOON WHICH IS BEING SPECIALLY MADE OVER F( WE’LL BE OPEN 7 NIGHTS A WEEK BEGINNING IN J^JNE AND WHILE i I’M GONNA MISS OLEENS AFTER 20 YEARS THERE;"KWANT YOU TO COME SEE ME AT MY NEW HOME SOON AS IT’S READY! SO WATCH FOR MORE DETAILS COMING UP 8c GEjiffiXbY TO ‘‘tSING” SIZE YOUR NIGHTLIFE. COME SEE US! THANKS! ytaseu v-A/j .asey ^uny terms of race, education, location, occupation and experience. • Lesbians and heterosexual women have little income difference; however women as a category persistently make significantly less than their male counterparts. • GLB people are found throughout the spectrum of income distribution. Another report by the NGLTF Policy Insti tute, entitled “Out and Voting II,” analyzed Voter News Service (VNS) exit poll data from 1990-1998. The report, authored by political scientist Robert W. Bailey, indicated that gay, lesbian and bisexual people earned, on average, less than others in the VNS sample. Report findings from “Out and Voting 11” revealed: • In 1990, 5 percent of voters reported in come of $100,000 or more while just 3 per cent of GLB voters reported the same. • In 1990, 38 percent of all voters reported income of $29,999 or under while 43 percent of GLB voters reported that level of income. • In 1992, 38 percent of voters reported in come of $29,999 or under while 51 percent of GLB voters reported that level of income. • 1998 data show that approximately two- thirds of GLB voters reported incomes in the lowest three categories (i.e. below $50,000) while only 53 percent of non-GLB voters fell into these categories. T Controversial therapy debate nixed by Wanda Pico Special to Q-Notes CHICAGO—The American Psychiatric Association canceled a discussion of so-called “reorientation therapy” — purported to turn gays into heterosexuals — that was to have been part of their national convention after two psy chiatrists scheduled to participate backed out. In explanation, the doctors said the topic carried too much political power for objective scientific debate. The cancellation was protested by Exodus International, a conservative Christian group that claims to change sexual orientation utiliz ing such therapies. John Paulk, board chairman of Exodus, said his group represents “a virtually unseen but siz able population” of former homosexuals now living happy heterosexual lives. A self-avowed former drag queen, Paulk cur rently lives with his wife, Anne, a self-avowed former lesbian, and their two sons. Dr. Robert Spitzer, the Columbia Univer sity professor who pushed for the APA’s 1973 decision to remove homosexuality from the diagnostic manual of mental disorders, orga nized the ill-fated debate. He stated that the only way to determine whether homosexual orientation can, in fact, be reversed for some people is through scien tific study. He stressed that there is no scien tific evidence showing that sexual orientation can be changed, but that there is also no evi dence to indicate that it is impossible. V SPEKTRUM FAYETTB/IUE'S CHOICE IN NtCiHTUFE ENTERTAINMENT! 107 Swain Street (Bragg Blvd. & US 401-ByPass) Fayetteville, NC 28303 Open at 8:00pm Daily! Serving family and friends throughout Southeastern hfC Phone: (910) 868-HAPY (4279) Visit our web site for more information about the club: www.geocities.com/spekfay 107
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