Gay Couples Quadrupled Since 1990

NEW YORK CITY, NY -- Gay and lesbian couples have become more visible in all areas of the country but the biggest increase is in areas of the country considered the most conservative according to a study issued Monday.

The report, prepared by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, is based on recently released data from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 365gay.com reports.

It shows that the number of same-sex couples in the US has quadrupled since 1990 - growing at a rate 21 times that of the population.

Increases, the report says, have been the most dramatic in the Midwest, Mountain, and Southern states.

The Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy advances law and public policy through independent research and scholarship.

"Clearly, more same-sex couples are willing to openly identify themselves as such on government surveys," said Gary Gates, Senior Research Fellow at the Williams Institute and author of the study.

"A combination of growing social acceptance and migration to the South and West means that same-sex couples are becoming increasingly visible in the most politically and socially conservative parts of the country," Gates said.