Same Sex Marriage good for the economy

A new study(pdf) tests the proposition that same sex marriage helps attract young, mobile and highly educated people (the "creative class"). They explain,

one of the most provocative conclusions to come out of Richard Florida’s best-selling book The Rise of the Creative Class (Basic Books, 2002) was his assertion that a vibrant and visible lesbian and gay community marks one of the best predictors of a region’s ability to attract a group of workers that he dubs the creative class. Florida argues that the creative class (comprised of an eclectic mix of individuals in occupations including artists, teachers, financiers, software engineers, and scientists) represents a key to regional economic development in today’s post-industrial and global economy. The creative class is a relatively young, highly educated, and mobile workforce that values innovation and diversity as keys to creating stimulating work environments.

So they tested this by analyzing the people who migrated to Massachusetts in the wake of marriage equality and found

evidence that marriage equality may have an impact on the migration of creative class workers among same-sex couples in the United States. They were 2.5 times more likely to move to the state after marriage equality than before. This positions Massachusetts as a leader within the Northeast region in attracting this segment of the workforce.

Findings also offer evidence that marriage equality played a broader role in the migration decision of many married same-sex couples. Women may see marriage protections as more salient since they are more likely to have children than are gay men. Notably, they comprise a much larger portion of individuals in same-sex couples who moved to Massachusetts after marriage equality.....

The evidence that marriage equality may enhance the ability of Massachusetts to attract highly-skilled creative class workers among those in same-sex couples offers some support that the policy has the potential to have a long-term positive economic impact.

And let's not forget that there is a substantial boost to the economy simply by providing marriage services. As reported by Boston.com,

A study says the over 12,000 same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts since 2004 have pumped over $111 million into the state's economy.

Not bad!