Legalizing same-sex marriage has not had any negative impact on different-sex marriages, according to a report by RAND and UCLA. In fact, legalizing same-sex nuptials has led to a slight increase in marriage rates overall, with no effect on rates of marriage or divorce among different-sex couples. The fears of opponents of same-sex marriage that it would undermine the institution of marriage have not come to pass. The study analyzed nearly 100 studies on the impacts of same-sex marriage and found that marriage rates increased at a greater rate than could be explained by only same-sex marriages.
Before nationwide legalization, the legal status of same-sex marriage varied by state, with different states legalizing same-sex marriage through various means. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples could marry nationwide. The researchers found that new marriages increased by 1-2% among different-sex couples and by about 10% across all couples after states legalized same-sex marriage. There were no declines in different-sex marriage rates and no increase in divorce rates among different-sex couples as opponents of equal marriage had suggested.
The report also highlighted several positive impacts of legalizing same-sex marriage, including improvements in the physical health of LGBTQ+ individuals, fewer hate crimes, increased state-level adoption rates after marriage, and drops in rates of syphilis, HIV, and AIDS in states where same-sex marriage had been legalized. Same-sex households in those states experienced higher rates of homeownership and higher earnings, and adopted more children. There was also a drop in sexual orientation-motivated hate crimes and employment discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as no negative changes in public opinion toward same-sex couples.
The findings of the report suggest a renewed interest in marriage among the broader public, with no empirical evidence to support concerns that allowing same-sex couples to marry has negatively affected different-sex couples and families. Legalizing same-sex marriage has not resulted in any of the negative consequences that opponents had predicted, but has instead led to positive outcomes such as increased marriage rates overall, improved physical health for LGBTQ+ individuals, and reduced rates of hate crimes and discrimination. The study provides evidence that equal marriage has had no adverse effects on different-sex marriages or society as a whole.
