The researchers speculate that historically lesbians were not constrained by rules that prohibited married women from enlisting and discharged pregnant women. A significant percentage of those children are from previous marriages. In fact, nearly 20 percent of men in gay partnerships and 30 percent of women in lesbian partnerships have previously been married or are currently married. Some of the most hard-hitting findings deal with education, earnings and wealth. That education, however, doesn't translate into dollar signs for gay men.
Data indicate they earn substantially less, something the researchers attribute to two factors.
First, there are anti-gay sentiments in a workplace dominated by men in power positions. Second, gay men appear to be less focused on gaining marketable skills than straight males, possibly because they acknowledge they won't have to support a household. Lesbians fare much better. The data show that lesbians earn substantially more than married women, single women, and heterosexually partnered women. These women have the freedom to pursue their careers without the constraints of traditional marriages.