American Foundation for Equal Rights

AFP: Gay marriage generates millions, expert tells court

Legalizing same-sex marriage would generate millions of dollars for San Francisco, the city’s chief economist said Thursday, as a trial on California’s gay wedding ban entered a fourth day.

Edmund Egan, who directs San Francisco’s Office of Economic Analysis, said legalization of same-sex marriage would increase the intake of real estate, payroll and sales taxes and would slash the number of uninsured.

Testifying at a landmark federal trial which ultimately could seal the fate of same-sex marriage in the United States, Egan said legalizing gay marriage would also boost real estate values and increase school-district revenues.

Further, because married people amass more wealth than unmarried individuals, they are likely to spend more, spurring sectors of the economy.

Same-sex marriage supporters are seeking to overturn a California law known as Proposition 8, which limits marriage to unions between men and women. Socially-conservative opponents are fighting the lawsuit.

Read the rest of Chanan Tigay’s AFP article here.