Civil Unions to Bring an Economic Shot in the Arm to Delaware?

http://www.edgedallas.com/news/national/news//120200/civil_unions_to_bring_an_economic_shot_in_the_arm_to_delaware?

As the economy has been sluggish to rebound from a severe slump, areas around the country where marriage equality has become the law of the land have pinned their hopes on gay and lesbian families bringing tourism and spending to local vendors and other businesses. Where marriage equality has flickered and then been quashed by anti-family equality forces, those hopes for an economic boost have been dashed.

Somewhere in between marriage equality and a punishing refusal to permit recognition and protections for gay and lesbian families lay civil unions. In a nation where recognition and acceptance of same-sex couples is at a premium, even states that extend civil unions but fall short of offering marriage equality might hope to generate revenue, the theory being that rights-starved families will flock from around the state--and elsewhere--in order to celebrate their lifelong bonds of commitment.

So it is in Delaware, where civil unions will become the law of the land as of Jan. 1, 2012 and where wedding planners are preparing for what they hope will be a bonanza, DelmarvaNow.com reported on May 29.

The article profiled life partners and businessmen Chris Beagle and Eric Engelhart, who have launched C. U. in Rehoboth to provide for the needs of those within the state--or from outside--seeking to solemnize their unions.

"Just like a wedding for a straight couple, the spending is about to begin, adding to the $86 billion-a-year wedding industry in the U.S.," the article noted. "And since Rehoboth Beach is already a wedding destination and home to a large gay and lesbian population, the unions could be a boon for beach businesses."

In other states, money is being raised and spent to attack gay families. One example is Minnesota, where lawmakers have flung open the door to a year and a half of what may well become shrill and ugly controversy by approving a ballot initiative to change the state constitution, lest same-sex couples one day gain the right to marry through legislative or judicial means. But though anti-gay initiatives may bring money into a state for a short time during an intense campaign--as happened in California during the bitterly divisive Proposition 8 campaign, which saw unprecedented levels of spending--the funds stop after Election Day