WEDDINGS ARE A
$BILLION INDUSTRY. 

And states are realizing how much they are missing out on, without legalizing gay marriage!

Allowing gay marriage in New York would bring in nearly $391 million in wedding and tourism revenue, according to the State Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC).

The report estimates 21,309 gay and lesbian couples would get married in New York within the first three years. It also predicts 3,308 couples from neighboring states would come to New York to get married, and that 41,907 other out-of-state gay and lesbian couples would travel to New York.

“Gay and lesbian couples are not wealthy – it’s a stereotype,” Janis Ricker, a PhD student at Stanford University, told Politically Illustrated. “Regardless, we love liberal states and I imagine a ton of gays would travel to New York to celebrate and participate in the lively night life New York City offers.”

  GOVERNOR CUOMO is all for it! 

And he is pushing hard for it this year! 

“We want to pass a bill,” he said. “We don’t want to bring up a bill in the Senate that would fail.”

Opponents to the measure argue Mr. Cuomo is doing little to help New York’s poor and needy people.

“Governor Cuomo, please help New York’s poor and needy people by saving rent control and rent stabilization laws instead of pushing gay marriage,” State Sen. Rubin Diaz Sr. told reporters.

Mr. Cuomo said he plans to meet with gay supporters in the legislature to determine whether there will be enough votes to pass the bill.

A bill providing gay and lesbian couples the same rights as heterosexual couples was defeated in the New York state senate in 2009.

 But Senator Diaz….if Cuomo gets the gay marriage bill to pass, and the state can start collecting extra revenue, THEN there WILL BE more money to help the poor and  needy! See how it works?!

As states like California and New York grapple over gay marriage, New England has found that it can be a small fillip to the economy.

Gay marriage is good for business. A popular  Provincetown Florist has 20 to 30 weddings booked this summer, and the reason for that decent return is evident in the next customer who walks through the door – a lesbian couple from Kansas desperately in need of some carnations for their wedding.

Massachusetts estimates that gay marriage has added money to its coffers – but only about $37 million a year, or less than 1 percent of the annual state budget.

In the private sector, the wedding industry could grow by more than $16 billion if gay marriage were expanded to all 50 states, according to a 2004 study by Forbes magazine.