Earnings differentials of males and females in same-sex couples in Canada

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Résumé (français)

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Résumé (anglais)

Same-sex marriage in Canada has been federal law since July 2005. Although Canadian gays and lesbians may have attained equality in marriage rights, this doesn’t mean that they do not suffer discrimination in other aspects of their lives. In particular, in the labour market there still may be earnings differentials that may be due to discrimination or other factors which we are unable to observe. This paper utilizes the 2001General Social Survey (GSS) to address the issue of differential earnings amongst members of same-sex couples compared to their counterparts in different-sex couples. We find that men in gay couples have an earnings penalty compared to heterosexual males in both common-law and married relationships, but no penalty exists for lesbians.