Prop. 8 - Gay Marriage Ban Hurts Economy

Same-sex weddings have been pulling many businesses out of the economic slump. A week before Election Day, Christopher Burnett’s floral shop filled with orders from many of the same-sex weddings. But now, since Proposition 8 passed on Tuesday, his sales have had a drastic drop off. “I have done a gay wedding every week,” he said. “And so it’s very disheartening, because other business is very slow.”

“We were afraid that they would pass Proposition 8,” Mr. Bobos said, “and that’s exactly what happened.”

Another area that is likely to take a hit - tourism. The New york Times writes that David Paisley, a San Francisco-based marketing executive with a specialty in gay tourism, said that California had four of the nation’s top 10 destinations for gay travelers: San Francisco, Palm Springs, Los Angeles and San Diego.

“California has always been perceived on the vanguard of gay-friendly destinations,” he said. “Well, when a ballot measure passes says it’s not, it’s terrible publicity for gay and lesbian tourism.”

Mr. Paisley said that it was too early to speculate on the exact economic impact of Proposition 8, but that some public relations damage might have already been done.

If you still this that this is just an overreaction, think again. In June, the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, which studies sexual orientation and the law, estimated that legalizing same-sex ceremonies in the state would result in about $63.8 million in government tax and fee revenue over three years.

That money could definitely help the $11.2 billion deficit California faces this year.