Same-sex households skyrocket in Illinois

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-census-same-sex-households-08020110804,0,1061149.story

The number of gay and lesbian households in Illinois jumped dramatically over the last decade, in part a reflection of societal changes that have made it easier for couples to be open about being in a same-sex relationship.

In Illinois, the number of same-sex households increased more than 40 percent, according to 2010 U.S. census data released Thursday. The numbers were up in Chicago but also in the suburbs: in Aurora there were 463 same-sex households, an 80 percent increase over 2010; in Oak Park, the number of female same-sex households grew by almost 65 percent.

"There has been a very sharp growth in acceptance," said Richard Rykhus, who lives in Evanston with Carlos Briones and their 6-year-old son. "I do think there's a correlation with these numbers when you look at how society now accepts same-sex couples and same-sex parent families. There were a lot of risks before. People now are evidently far more willing to identify that way."

Since the 2000 census, the country's acceptance of gay and lesbian people has grown, as evidenced by laws in more than 10 states allowing same-sex civil unions or marriages and even the broader cultural mainstreaming of gay characters in movies and television.