Gay marriage would boost Washington economy

The introduction of gay marriage to Washington State would boost its economy by millions of dollars according to a new report.

According to the Williams Institute the legalisation of gay marriage in Washington State could generate a huge $80 million dollars for the local community. The report by the Institute suggests the economy would benefit from spending on wedding arrangements as well as tourism from guests attending weddings. The report also claims that such a boost to the local economy would lead to around $8 million dollars in tax revenue.

The report is based on average wedding expenditures in the state for 2010 and also for same-sex weddings in states which have already legalised it. Washington State is currently considering the legalisation of same-sex marriages following other states such as New York and Iowa.

However, if the Republicans do win the presidential elections this year its likely they – which ever candidate wins – would introduce an amendment to the constitution which would ban gay marriage and invalidate existing ones. {jcomments off}