Boulder County has been keeping records of the number of civil unions since the beginning of May, and statistics show that the amount of women entering into civil unions is far greater than the amount of men. The Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office recorded 105 licenses for civil unions for the month. Of that total, 103 were for same-sex partners while two were for heterosexual couples. Of the 103 licenses for same-sex couples, 79 were for female partners while 24 were for male couples. That equates to more than three-fourths of the licenses going to female couples.
A former county clerk, who first issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Boulder County nearly four decades ago, observed that women want security for themselves and their children. She added that they want to take advantage of the legal rights given to them by the new bill. An ordained minister, who officiated at civil union ceremonies in the state, added that women might be more likely to commit sooner. She also elaborated that lesbian couples might be more socially acceptable than gay men, which could be why more women initially flooded the courts to have their unions validated sooner. However, she did not want to necessarily label anyone.
The Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office reported that they gave licenses to 178 homosexual couples on the first day they opened. Of those couples, 108 were female while the remainder were male. They did not have a breakdown of statistics for the month of May.
When someone decides to pursue a civil union, they may face certain legal complications. A family lawyer who understands some of the challenges homosexual couples face might be able to help couples address complex issues.
Source: Denver Post, “More women than men in Boulder County enter into civil unions “, Charlie Brennan, June 02, 2013
