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A study recently released by professors at UCLA reveals significant similarities and disparities exist between same-sex and heterosexual couples in the United States.

The study, titled “Same-Sex Couples and Same-Sex Couples Raising Children in The United States: Data from Census 2000,” was released Sept. 22 by the Williams Project, a UCLA School of Law think tank that deals with legal issues for same-sex couples.

“Individuals living in same-sex couples not only live throughout the country, but share all of the other attributes of the U.S.’s population – they include every race, every ethnicity, the able-bodied and the disabled, citizens and non-citizens,” according to the study.

The study “shows the normalcy of same-sex couples,” said Gabe Rose, president of the UCLA Student Coalition for Marriage Equality.

Members of same-sex couples depend on each other economically in similar ways to those living in heterosexual couples, and over 39 percent of them aged 22-55 are raising children, the study indicated.

Over 250,000 minors nationwide have same-sex parents.

But same-sex couples make an average of $12,000 less annually than heterosexual couples, the study found.

The percentage of same-sex couples that own homes is over 15 percent lower than that of heterosexual couples. Education levels for same-sex couples were also found to be lower than those for heterosexual couples.

Still, members of same-sex couples are active contributors to society, the study found. 71 percent are employed, compared to 65 percent of individuals in heterosexual couples; 15 percent are veterans of the U.S. armed forces, compared with 19 percent for heterosexual couples.

The study also found that a higher percentage of same-sex couples raising children belong to racial minorities than their married, heterosexual counterparts.

“One of the big messages (of the study) is that there’s often a stereotype of the gay population as being white, male and wealthy, and this report breaks those stereotypes,” said Gary Gates, senior research fellow at the Williams Project and co-author of the study.

Rose agreed with Gates’ statement.

“There are a lot of stereotypes about the gay community, and that’s all they are – stereotypes based on cultural phobias. The study proves that these stereotypes are wrong,” he said.

Rose saidthe study brings increased visibility to minority gay populations, especially those raising children.

The findings may affect the debate over legalizing same-sex marriage.

The inability to legally marry exacerbates the disadvantages of same-sex couples’ experiences, Gates said.

“Marriage creates and promotes a sense of economic stability,” he said.

Gates pointed out that the lack of certain benefits of marriage, including tax, workplace health care and Social Security benefits, could be contributing to the lower overall economic status of same-sex couples.

“Legalizing gay marriage would give (same-sex couples) the added boost and equality they deserve as Americans,” Rose said.

Social discrimination is also contributing to this disparity, Gates added.

But “there is very little evidence that kids being raised by gay parents have any disadvantage to kids being raised by heterosexual parents,” Gates said.

The only disadvantage children may suffer comes from the same socioeconomic factors the couples experience, Gates said.

Rose agreed with this statement.

“There is absolutely no social science to back up the claims that same-sex couples are inferior parents. It’s a stereotype based on an assumption that homosexuality is an undesirable lifestyle.”

Both said they believed the inability to legally marry creates an unfair and sometimes overwhelming obstacle to same-sex couples.

“To the extent that the state or federal government is concerned about the welfare of families, the lack of marriage protection is an obstacle to a group that perhaps already has some economic disadvantage,” Gates said. “This study suggests that marriage would certainly help (the gay population).”