The state of same-sex marriage in Florida
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There were three times as many married same-sex couples in Florida in 2022 than there were a decade prior, before the Supreme Court's landmark marriage equality decision.
Why it matters: Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration has since made Florida one of the least queer-friendly states in the country — although advocates say the tide is starting to turn.
- 5.4% of Floridian adults identify as LGBTQ+.
Flashback: Florida began recognizing same-sex marriage in 2015 after federal court rulings struck down a statewide ban.
- The ban is technically still on the books, and legislative efforts to repeal it have failed.
By the numbers: There were about 98,000 same-sex couple households in Florida as of 2022, compared to about 39,600 in 2008, per the latest American Community Survey (ACS) data.
- There were about 59,000 married same-sex couple households in 2022, up from 9,100 in 2008.
- 60% of same-sex couple households were married as of 2022, compared to just 23% in 2008.
The big picture: In 2022 nationwide, there were about 1.3 million same-sex couple households; in 741,000, they were married.
Caveat: There's no 2020 data because the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with the Census Bureau's collection efforts.
- The Bureau has also struggled in the past to accurately count same-sex marriages.
- The ACS in 2019 began specifically asking about same-sex spouses and unmarried partners in American households, a tweak meant to improve data-collection efforts.
What we're watching: The Census Bureau is now experimenting with new questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to better count and understand a historically overlooked group.